Under the Scarlet Moon
by Aoki Aya
Summary: AU: KK When Kaoru sacrificed herself for her village, she sealed her fate. She is now the untouchable wife of the cold, but undeniably attractive, water god.
1. Sacrifice

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Rurouni Kenshin, nor do I own _The Bride of the Water God_.

**Author's Note: **Konnichiwa, minna-san! Well, this is my first RK fanfiction, and I'm pretty excited about it. I really hope that you guys enjoy it. I've borrowed the plot line from a Korean manwha called _The Bride of the Water God_. It is an AMAZING story, and I thought it would be a pretty good RK fic.

Without further adieu, please read and enjoy.

_I have never believed in true love. I had never experienced it, so I had no proof to actually believe that it was real. And any time I saw a young couple claim to be truly in love, it ended as a terrible tragedy. So maybe I didn't want to believe in true love, because it always led to heartbreak. _

_So perhaps my pessimism was viewed a good trait for this task, and that was why I was chosen. _

"Look over there. She's the chosen one."

"You mean the Kamiya girl?"

"See how she's dressed? Can't you tell just by looking at her?"

_When I had agreed, the whole town rejoiced. They called me the savior of the village, and they continuously thanked me again and again. _

"We will be eternally grateful to you, Kaoru-chan!"

"You have saved the village, and future of this village!"

"Thank you so much, Kaoru! We can all live because of you."

_Lies…It's all lies…I knew what they were really thinking… _

_**"Thank the gods it isn't our daughter!"**_

_**"As long as the rains come, I don't care what happens to the girl!"**_

_**"It's not our fault you were the chosen one."**_

_**"Our crops can't grow without rain…the god needed a sacrifice…" **_

_I thought of my parents, and how they stood by, saying nothing, only nodding in agreement. Accepting the fact that their only child, their only daughter, was going to ripped away from them. _

_I thought of how this was a day that most girls dream about. This was the day that parents plan from the moment their daughter is born. This was the day that I had rarely envisioned, but wanted so much…_

_Today, which was as depressing as a funeral…_

"My, my, doesn't she look just lovely!"

"She must look as lovely as possible, after all, the water god only accepts the most beautiful girls from the village!"

"It's true! But somehow, even on a day such as this, she still manages to look like the prettiest bride!"

_…was my wedding day._

**Under the Scarlet Moon**

**I. Sacrifice**

Kaoru's entire body shook in terror as she and the villagers approached the edge of the lake. She felt the cold water tickle her toes cruelly, as if inviting her to death. She shivered, feeling as if she was slowly turning into ice, frozen from fear.

Staring at the water, Kaoru recalled a memory from when she was just three years old. At that time, another young girl had been sacrificed to the water god. The girl, Michiru, was kind and sweet, and she had always played with Kaoru. Kaoru remembered shedding tears for Michiru when she was told that Michiru had been taken away by the water god. She remembered Michiru's weeping parents as the rain finally began to fall…

Kaoru never saw Michiru again. She understood now that Michiru was dead, and that she was not coming back.

But did the same fate await Kaoru? Would she, like Michiru, never to see the light of day again? Never to feel the grass on her feet, the sand between her toes? Never able to have the chance…to love…?

"Kaoru," a soft, but impatient, voice whispered from behind, breaking her reverie. He was the male elder of the village. "It is time to fulfill your agreement."

From under her veil, Kaoru turned to look at the man behind her. He was standing a few feet away, his face stoic. She turned to look at her mother, who was standing among the villagers, beside her father.

She let her eyes gaze that the nature that surrounded the village. It was dry and bare, the plain color of dust. There were no luscious green trees, no budding spring Sakura flowers…nothing. It was not a beautiful spring, the season that Kaoru waited for every year.

"You must go further into the water, Kaoru," the elder told her quietly.

And that was when Kaoru decided. She would not sacrifice herself for the village, for greedy people that so easily gave her away. Not even for her family, her own flesh and blood, who couldn't shed tears for her. She could give her life so that could be a green spring again, a beautiful spring.

So as dread spread through her body as Kaoru forced herself to wade further into the water.

"O, Mighty Water God, we present to you our sacrifice…" Kaoru heard the priest began to chant. "Please accept our offerings and let the rains fall once more on our village. Let us please you with a beautiful wife and with your mercy, let the rains come…"

The priest continued chanting, but nothing happened.

"O, Powerful Water God! O, Merciful Water God! Take her from us in exchange for rain!"

And then, suddenly, the sky changed from it's placid blue into a dark, gray overcast. The winds quickened and became icy cold. The water started to convulse and Kaoru felt herself being pulled further and further into the water…

Kaoru wanted to scream, she wanted to run back to shore, she wanted to escape. But all she could do is stare out at the water, which was becoming more and more ominous. The waves started to become more thunderous, more violent, more…_frightening_.

_It's coming, _Kaoru thought in horror. _It's coming for me…__**He's **__coming for me…_

Then, the water seemed to rise, wrapping itself around her in a wet, chilly embrace. It was like the water were arms, holding her tightly, as it engulfed her. She felt her veil being ripped from her face, and there was nothing to shield her from the ultimate horror…

She closed her eyes, waiting for death to take her away. Away from pain, away from sadness, away from life. And she prayed that the moment she left this world, the rain fall, and it would be a blossoming spring again.

xXxXxXx

Kaoru felt warm. It was comfortable and pleasant, like lying out in the sun on the perfect day. She also felt the softness of blankets surrounding like she was sleeping on clouds. And adding to it's perfection, Kaoru could smell the sea, and the fresh scent of the sakura blossoms.

Everything was wonderful…

So wonderful…

…_Too _wonderful…

She snapped her eyes open and shot straight up, ignoring the soreness that covered her body. Her eyes widened as she looked at her surroundings. She was sitting in a large, warm bed with a great canopy overhead. She heard wind chimes sound from the gentle breeze, and she switched her gaze to the left. Her breath was stolen away when she the most magnificent view of the ocean and the most beautiful spring trees she had ever seen.

_Where…?_

"So, you're finally awake."

Kaoru jumped when she heard a pleasant, amused voice from next to her. She turned and saw a tall, lovely woman standing in the doorway of the room. The woman had a young face, but from her body, Kaoru could tell that she was a little older that Kaoru's seventeen years.

Kaoru stayed silent as the woman moved towards her and gently grabbed her arm. Kaoru watched as the woman removed the bandage and inspected the small cut. She frowned, and muttered to herself, "I told him to be gentle, because human girls are delicate, but _no _don't listen the doctor…"

"Um," Kaoru finally bit out, interrupting the woman's banter. "I'm sorry, but who are you?"

The woman looked up from the wound. "I'm Megumi," she said kindly. "Resident doctor."

"And where exactly _am _I?"

Megumi gave her a strange look. "Where do you think you are?"

"I have no idea," she replied slowly.

Megumi sighed. "What's the last thing you remember before waking up?"

"Being swallowed by the lake," Kaoru answered, shivering from the memory.

"Why?" Megumi prompted.

"I was sacrificed to the water god as his bride, and--" Kaoru stopped when she saw Megumi's there-it-is face. "Oh. _Oh_."

"Exactly. You are in the Water Country, ruled by the water god. He was the one that summoned you from the lakeshore, and he was the one that picked you up and brought you to this palace." Megumi began to rewrap Kaoru's arm.

"So, I'm not dead…" Kaoru whispered to herself.

"Hardly," Megumi said. "Kaoru, you are alive, and the wife of the water god."

Kaoru snapped her eyes onto Megumi again. "What did you call me?"

"Kaoru," Megumi said. "Isn't that your name?"

"Well, yes, but--"

"Anyway, you seem fine," Megumi cut her off. "Let's get going."

Kaoru stared at the woman in surprise. "Going? What do you mean?"

Megumi was already walking towards the door when she glanced over her shoulder to say, "Where else? I'm going to bring you to the water god."

**Author's Note: **Was it enjoyable? Please give me some feedback by clicking that shiny button over to the left…:D


	2. Meeting

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Rurouni Kenshin, nor do I own The Bride of the Water God.

**Author's Note: **Hi there! Long time no see! I know, it's taken me FOREVER to write the second chapter of UTSM. But with college approaching quickly and other important matters, I had to put off writing this for a while. But I'm back! Please enjoy this chapter~

**Under the Scarlet Moon**

**II. Meeting**

"Where else? I'm going to bring you to the water god."

Kaoru felt her stomach drop. A small "eh?" escaped from her mouth. She clenched the bed sheets tightly in her hands, trying to control the tremble of fear that was spreading through her body.

"Frozen with fear?" Megumi asked with a smirk.

Kaoru tilted her head up defiantly. "No," she answered curtly.

"Then, let's go," Megumi said. "He's been waiting for you to wake up for quite some time now."

"He's been _waiting _for _me_?" Kaoru exclaimed.

_The water has been waiting for me…and why? To kill me? _Kaoru thought grimly.

Megumi shrugged. "Not necessarily _waiting_…more like wondering about you," she said slowly. "He said that you didn't resist; you didn't fight for your life when the water consumed you."

Kaoru was suddenly alarmed.

"Did you _want _to die?" Megumi pressed her.

The younger girl looked away. She didn't _want _to die…but rather, she was accepting her fate. She really didn't want to see any more of the villager's false love and admiration of her, her father's indifferent face, her mother's guilty tears…

She didn't want to see any more of it. None of it!

Megumi didn't further her question. She merely stood up and grabbed Kaoru's arm. She pulled her out of bed and to her feet. "Let's go," Megumi said.

Kaoru would much rather pass up the option of seeing the water god, her new _husband_. She shivered at the word. She had a husband that would probably eat her soul with cold and emotionless eyes…It was probably what he had done with the other girls from the village that Kaoru never saw again.

"Are you coming or not?" Megumi said with a smirk, interested at how unnerved the Kaoru was, and how she was trying hard not to reveal it. Megumi left the room with Kaoru scurrying after her.

The palace corridors were silent; nothing but the crashing of waves could be heard. Kaoru loved that sound…it reminded her of home.

She passed by a window again. As she peered out, everything about this foreign place was breathtaking. The skies were the bluest Kaoru had even seen and the sun was illuminating. The sakura trees blossomed like they would back at the village, had there not been a drought. The entire atmosphere of this place was relaxing, comforting, and serene.

Maybe she wouldn't be killed by the water god…because she was already dead. This wonderful country could be heaven…a paradise that she could not have found back on earth or any where else.

Megumi suddenly halted, and Kaoru, lost in thought, collided with the older woman's back.

"Sorry!" Kaoru gasped out, surprised.

Megumi merely opened a large door that led into a dark room. She pushed Kaoru inside. "Wait in here. He'll come out once he senses your presence." Megumi promptly shut the door behind Kaoru.

Kaoru frowned. What kind of farewell was that?

She looked around and realized that this room was not as dark as it appeared from the outside. Rather, it was simply a room that had its own personal garden and small pond. Flowers bloomed all over and plants Kaoru had never seen before were growing by the waterside. It was dazzling.

She ventured further into the room. The aura of this garden drew her in somehow. Kaoru looked out over the garden when something caught her eye. She carefully approached the waterside and saw that in the pond, there were small stumps of stone leading to the other shore. She abruptly felt like walking across them.

She quickly glanced over her shoulder. No one was there and no one was watching. She could easily walk across and back before anyone came into the room.

_After all, if the water god would come out once he noticed my presence, he should have come out long ago, _Kaoru mused cheerfully. The feeling of boldness she felt was unexpected.

She slipped out of her sandals and socks and cautiously set a foot down on the cool, wet stone. She steadied herself before setting her other foot on the stone as well. Pulling up the hem of her kimono, she jumped to the following two with ease. But when she was going to hop over to the next one, she miscalculated the distance. She felt her feet land on emptiness as she missed the stone completely. She mentally slapped herself as started to plunge towards the water, preparing to be soaked.

But a something caught her fall. An arm landed on her back and another slipped beneath her knees. Startled, she looked up and gazed into the most beautiful molten eyes.

"You're different from the others. They were much more obedient. But it seems like you can't sit still," the voice overhead commented smoothly.

Somehow, Kaoru managed to tear her stare away from the stunning amber orbs and looked clearly into the face of the man that was saved her from her fall. He was watching her with an amused expression but was belied by the coolness in his eyes. His hair was a shocking red—like burning flames. His features were undoubtedly handsome. He held her in his arms with ease and grace, and he made no motion to put her down because then she would plummet into the cold water below.

But something struck her as odd. How had this strange man gotten to her so quickly? He was not in the room with her…was he? And there was no land surrounding them except for the one stone that Kaoru attempted to jump on. How could he have caught her without falling into the water himself? She looked down to his feet and gasped.

He was standing _on _the water. Not _in _the water, but _on _it. The soles of his feet stood on the water like it was solid, like he was standing on land.

_Water…god…?_

Kaoru was speechless.

The water god started walking across the water's surface effortlessly and set Kaoru down once they reached the shore. Her legs felt a little weak from the sudden realization that she was with the water god. He was the reason why she was forced to leave her village and sacrifice herself. She steadied herself on her numb legs and stood face-to-face with the water god, whom, she realized was only about a head taller than she was.

The water god studied her face. He was close enough for his warm breath to touch her skin. "So, you're my newest wife."

Kaoru didn't say anything. But reality, she couldn't say anything. She felt like her voice had vanished from fear.

"You don't look like the other girls that that village has sent me." His gaze lingered on her exotic blue eyes. "You're pretty young too. I see that they were getting desperate for rain."

_It's true. We were desperate. It hadn't rained in several weeks. The crops were dying…children were starving…it wasn't going to be a fruitful spring…_

"I've had prettier brides," the water god said arrogantly, pulling his face away from hers. "But I guess you'll do as a sacrifice in exchange for rain."

A vein popped in Kaoru's head. _W-What a conceited man—I mean, god!_

He stepped around her and into the room, away from the garden."It looks like they think that any girl can be my bride," the water god continued haughtily.

Another vein popped. _And _yes, _all the girls are just dying to be your bride! _

"For their foolishness, I'll let them suffer for a few more weeks in drought," he said coolly.

Kaoru snapped. "You can't do that!" she exclaimed angrily.

The water god turned around and faced her, surprised.

Kaoru marched right up to him, forgetting her earlier fear. "_I'm here._ I'm your sacrifice and that means that the exchange has been made! Make it rain _now_!"

The water god's eyes went from surprised to hard and cold. Then, a loud burst of thunder shook the room. The water in the garden behind her began to thrash around violently. The skies started to darken to an ominous gray.

Suddenly, Kaoru was pushed away by a strong unexpected force. The water god grasped her wrists and held her up against the wall of the room. His eyes were burning with rage.

"Don't think you can command _me_, little human," he growled in a powerful voice that shook Kaoru to the core. "You mean _nothing _me and neither does your little village."

Kaoru was shaken by his sudden fury. But she somehow managed to keep her dignity. She didn't cower from his rage as he would expect her to. She titled her chin up indignantly.

"Then, if you weren't going to make it rain, you should have just let me drown," Kaoru snapped.

The water god snarled at her. "Don't think that I wouldn't take your life here and now. I do as I wish. If I do not wish to make it rain, it shall not rain. _You _can't change that. If I want to take your life—" Water started to convulse around her ankles. "—then I will do it."

"Then _do _it," Kaoru challenged him.

"Don't test me," he spat at her. He released her and the weather returned to how it was before. He walked away from her, leaving her stand there with her bruised wrists and dissipating courage. "I am a god, and you can never forget that."

He vanished in a rush of water.

Kaoru slid to the floor. What had she gotten herself into?

**Author's Note: **Hope that you guys enjoyed it! I'll try to update again soon. If you have time, please check out my new Rurouni Kenshin fic called _This Heart of Mine_.

Please read and review both of my stories! I'll love you for it~ ^-^


	3. Rain

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Rurouni Kenshin, nor do I own The Bride of the Water God.

**Author's Note: ** I'm baaaaaack~!!! YAY! Thanks for all of the reviews! I loved reading every single one of them! This chapter that really delves into the characters, and we get introduced to some. I hope you guys enjoy this chapter (it's pretty long), it's for you great readers! Sorry it took so long to get this chapter up…Hope the length of the chapter will make up for it.

**Under the Scarlet Moon**

**III. Rain**

Megumi sighed as the sky became blue again and the sea returned to its state of calm. The wind died down to a gentle breeze and ominous atmosphere dissolved in a matter of seconds. She was glad that the rage had only lasted a couple of minutes… few more and a hurricane of fury would have erupted.

He really needed to learn how to control his temper.

She continued to mix the ingredients for her medical concoction when she heard her office door slide open. She glanced over her shoulder and relaxed once she saw the familiar face.

"Did you _see _that storm that was about to hit?" a male voice said.

Megumi rolled her eyes. "Idiot. How could anyone have _missed _that?"

The male visitor took a seat on the bed in the office, leaning against the headboard and gazing at the back of the lady doctor's head. He ran a hand through his black hair as he asked, "What set him off this time?"

Megumi shrugged as she capped the bottle of her newest creation. She turned to face him. "I didn't think that he would lose his temper at all today. He was just going to take a look at his bride."

"Oh, so she finally woke up?" the man said. "I wanted to see what she looked like too, but you wouldn't let me in the room."

"That's because she was completely unconscious after almost drowning, Sano," Megumi replied with a scowl. "She didn't need you to pester her while she was recuperating."

"Whatever," the man, Sano, said with a wave of the hand. Then, he looked at her directly. "Wait. He got angry with the _bride_? But, usually his meetings with the wives go easily, don't they? He talks and the girls stare, paralyzed by fear. To get angry with a bride…that's a first."

"She didn't seem very brave when I first met her," Megumi offered. "But she must have done _something _to make him so irritated. Otherwise, he would just leave her to herself."

"Whatever it is, he should learn to control himself around the girls. Losing control is something that drives people away. He should know that by now."

Megumi gave Sano a deep look. "You should tell him that. After all, you are his best friend."

"That may be, but there's only so much I get across to him. I think he ignores what I'm saying half of the time."

"That's because half of the time, you are just rambling," Megumi pointed out bluntly.

"Shut it, Fox," Sano shot at her.

Megumi just smiled in response.

The two sat in silence with the air of ease lingering over them.

"Oi, Fox," Sano said suddenly.

"What?"

"What's the bride's name?"

"It's Kaoru. Kamiya Kaoru," Megumi replied.

There was silence again.

"Oi, Fox--"

_"What?"_ Megumi snapped.

"What does she look like? Pretty? Short? She must be some what good-looking if she's the sacrifice…"

Megumi shrugged. "I guess she's just pretty--"

"Average," a deep voice interjected, alarming both Sano and Megumi who jumped in response. The two turned to see a red-haired man standing in the doorway with a dark smile on his face, obviously amused.

"Dammit, Kenshin!" Sano exclaimed. "Don't do that!"

"Don't do what? Answer your question?" the red-haired man named Kenshin said smoothly. "If you can count on Megumi's opinion of the girl, can't you trust mine?"

Sano frowned. "I _can't _trust your judgment because you call all of your brides _average_…even if they are drop-dead gorgeous."

"Are you doubting my judgment?" Kenshin demanded, a flicker in his eyes.

"I'm doubting your judgment on women. It's a completely case compared to other things," Sano answered, crossing his arms. Then, he ventured onto rocky territory. "And what the hell was up with the sudden storm?"

Kenshin narrowed his eyes. "I'm not allowed to use my powers when I wish?"

"Oi, don't get mad at me now too," Sano said, holding his hands up in defense. "But since when do you lose your temper so easily…especially with a _girl_?"

Kenshin looked out the window, his face unreadable. "She…irritated me. That's all."

Megumi arched a delicate brow. Only that? It had to be something more than just a little bit of annoyance. A lot of his brides have been bothersome, but to this extent…She glanced up at the water god. Who _was _this girl that could make Kenshin so aggravated? The girl didn't seem so…bold when Megumi met her. She merely seemed like a girl with a little defiance, but once in Kenshin's intimidating presence…it would have vanished instantly.

"So, you scared her with a display of power to put her back into her place? And then what?" Sano said. "Where did you leave her?"

Kenshin shrugged. "I left her to reflect on her thoughts." He smiled when he saw Megumi's concerned eyes. "Don't worry, I didn't hurt her or anything."

"Yes, but you probably left her in a state of terror," Megumi sighed.

"She needed to learn that I am not someone that takes orders from a little human," Kenshin growled. "I'm quite sure that she understands that now."

Sano groaned as he lifted himself to his feet. "All right, then. Well, I'm off to meet her and shake her out of her fear." He towards the door before he shot a glance at Kenshin. "Not all women are going to be like _her_,you know. You have to find someone new. _She _isn't coming back--"

"Quiet,"Kenshin said coldly, interrupting his friend. "Don't speak about that matter."

Kenshin and Sano exchanged a dark glare. Sparks of fire flickered around Sano's hands and Kenshin's eyes grew icy as the ocean started to convulse again. They were challenging each other with silent glowers and a show of power. They continued to stare for the several tense moments.

Sano broke contact first. "Whatever you say, almighty water god." He walked out the door.

"Kenshin…" Megumi said gently.

The water god silenced her with a look before disappearing in a whirlwind of water.

"Those two idiots," Megumi sighed heavily as she returned to her work.

xXxXxXx

How long she been sitting here?

Kaoru stared down dumbly at her hands as she remained sitting on the floor. Her entire body felt numb from fear, anger, and regret.

She dreaded her next confrontation with the impulsive water god. His dark and overpowering aura left her fearing for her sanity as well as her life. His arrogant and cold personality left her fuming…Ignoring her as the sacrifice for rain was unforgivable!

She may be his wife but she had no intention of being a possession to him at all. She would _not _subject herself to be completely controlled by _him_…the water god…the _bastard_…

The bastard that was unquestionably handsome with entrancing golden eyes…

What the hell was she thinking?! This was the bastard that gave her bruised wrists and a body full of pain.

Kaoru decided to be strong, but she couldn't help but feel regretful. She now regretted her decision to become his bride…She wished she had been more resistant, or even a little more reluctant to leave. She readily agreed to becoming the sacrifice so that she could save the village and return the spring to the village. But now…What the hell had she been thinking? To end up here, with a cold, domineering god as her husband…

_Stupid, stupid, stupid Kaoru!_

Her mental berating came to a abrupt halt as the door to the room slid open. She froze completely as her panicked eyes snapped to the door. If it was _him_…She didn't want to be subject to his anger again. It made her feel so weak and helpless…a feeling she utterly hated. She saw a figure standing in the door and she almost sighed a breath of relief when she saw that it was another man.

Although, she really shouldn't be _that _relaxed. She didn't know whom she could really trust in this strange place.

The man stepped out of the shadows and wore a friendly smile on his face. "Oh, so you're Kaoru. Nice to meet ya," he said. He walked over to her limp form and kneeled next to her. He extended his hand. "I'm Sagara Sanosuke. I go by Sano."

Kaoru looked at his hand wearily, unsure of how to react. He seemed kind enough…much warmer than the water god. Her mind told her to doubt, but her told her to trust. She lightly grasped his hand. "It's nice to meet you too. I'm Kamiya Kaoru."

Sagara Sanosuke's smile widened. "So, you are the newest bride. I bet you feel lucky, huh?"

Kaoru liked his tone. It was dripped in sarcasm, which appealed to her bitter side of this whole situation. She gave a small smile. "I feel like I'm the luckiest girl alive," she said with the same tone.

He looked surprised at her statement. "You _are _different than the others. You're a lot more open, that's for sure."

Kaoru withdrew her hand with a nervous look. "Is that a bad thing?"

"Only if you get Kenshin angry…Which you already managed to do within a few minutes."

She frowned at the unfamiliar name. "Kenshin?" she inquired.

"He didn't introduce himself, did he?" Sano said with a roll of his eyes. "Obviously not. Kenshin…He's the water god. He's your husband."

"Oh, he has a name?" Kaoru bit out.

Sano gave her a strange look before bursting out laughing. "You may be different, but you are a hundred times more interesting, that's for sure." He continued to laugh.

Kaoru stared at the man suspiciously. While this man was warm and friendly, she was still unsure of his true intentions. His atmosphere was much more calming than that of her husband's--_Kenshin, _now knowing his real name--but what did that mean to her? She was still stuck in this place anyway…But a kind face could make the stay easier.

"So, Kaoru, can you tell me what the hell you did to make Kenshin so angry?" Sano asked her.

Kaoru was startled. "W-What?"

"You don't have to hide it. Everyone saw the sudden storm--It's the familiar signal that Kenshin's pissed. So, what did you do?"

She turned her head away indignantly. "He was being a bastard, and I got angry at him."

"Angry at _him_? But _he--_The storm…" He paused, pondering for a few moments. He was unable to think of a plausible reason. "What else happened?" Sano pressed on.

Kaoru hesitated. Did she really need to say what happened? The water god's reaction to her outburst wasn't exactly something she wanted to relive. But, it would feel nice to vent… "Even though I became the sacrifice, and an exchange _was_ made, he said that he would make my village suffer a few more weeks of drought. Then I got angry…And I demanded that he make it rain _now_. No exceptions."

Sano gaped at her for a few moments. "You ordered Kenshin around? No wonder he got so pissed. Kenshin isn't someone who can be ordered around. Missy, you got yourself in a whole lot of trouble…"

Kaoru sighed. "I know…"

"But it'll be good for him. I've never met a bride like you before…You'll be _good _for him."

"Excuse me?" Kaoru said, surprised. "I doubt that. I'm not what he wants in a bride already, and I'm quite glad about that. The less I see him, the better."

"Sorry, Kaoru, but you'll seeing a lot of Kenshin. You are his only bride right now, and it's traditional for the bride to stay with the god."

"What if I'm not one for tradition?" Kaoru shot back.

Sano grinned. "Then you'll find yourself in a sticky situation."

She groaned, completely agonized. She put her hand over her eyes, wishing she could just fall into deep space to escape her fate as the bride of the water god. She even wished she could be back home in the dry, arid village. She might be starving, but at least she would be away from the water god who was such an annoying _liar_!

When she heard Sano chuckle next to her, she removed her hand. He was leaning against the wall with a placid smile on his face.

Then, it dawned on her. He knew who _she _was, but she had no idea who _he _was--except for the fact that his name was Sano.

"You know a lot about this place," Kaoru commented. "Who are you?"

Sano looked down at her lying form and shook his head. "I already told you. I'm Sagara Sano--"

"I know that already," Kaoru cut in. "I mean, as in, _what _are you?"

"Well, that's easy enough to answer," Sano said. "I'm the god of fire."

Kaoru jumped upright. "Fire?"

He grinned. "That's right. You are sitting right beside the eternal flame."

So, he was another god. Kaoru found his demeanor much more personable than that of her husband's. How come she ended up with the mean, domineering god as her husband, and not a pleasant, kind one?

"Being the god of fire is fun, but I'm not lucky like Kenshin. He's the one that always gets all of the brides," Sano remarked.

Kaoru lifted a delicate eyebrow. "You don't get any brides?"

Sano shook his head. "Nope. Think about it. Fire can be made from your own hands, as long as you have two sticks to rub together. Water is one of the essential matters of life, without it, humans like you would cease to exist."

It was true. If Kaoru had been the bride of the god of fire, it would have been a completely useless sacrifice for the village…

"Lucky bastard," Sano said grumpily. "Getting his own little harem…It isn't fair."

Kaoru rolled her eyes. Even if he was a god, it didn't mean that he had to abide by certain moral and ethical principles. But still…

Suddenly, Kaoru shivered. The air around the room became chilly, and she wrapped her arms around herself. It was strange…Even the water seemed to shudder from the gust of cold air. She looked up at Sano to see if he felt it as well. He didn't seem cold, but his eyes were bright with expectation. His eyes lingered on the door, and Kaoru followed his gaze.

The door burst open.

The water god, with bright fiery hair and dangerous molten eyes, stood in the doorway.

He looked at Sano and then to Kaoru. His gaze cut through Kaoru like a thousand knives. He didn't move from his spot in the door, but let his dark aura circle throughout the room. But his forceful grip seemed to take a hard hold onto Kaoru, who was still frozen in her seat on the floor.

"Sano," he said coolly. "I see you've met my newest bride."

"We've been talking for a while," Sano said. "She's an interesting girl."

"Is that so? I thought that she was only disobedient," he said coldly.

Kaoru glared at him.

"Bride, come with me," he ordered.

"My name is not 'bride'. It's Kaoru," she snapped at him.

"I'm aware of that," he told her curtly. "But it doesn't matter. Come with me."

Kaoru stayed rooted to her spot. "Did you make it rain yet?"

"No," was his icy reply.

"Then I'm not coming," Kaoru said defiantly. She crossed her arms, turned her head away, and made no move to get up. She could almost _feel _his gaze on her and it was piercing into her soul cruelly.

"I was wrong, Kenshin," Sano said, a smile on his voice. "She's not just interesting…She's _very _interesting."

"Enough, Sano," he hissed. "If you find her so interesting, then perhaps you can teach her some damn _manners_."

_Manners? Teach yourself some! _Kaoru growled silently. _Ordering me around like I'm some possession! _

"Sorry, she's your bride not mine," Sano said. Then, he leaned in and whispered to Kaoru, "Hey, if he bullies you, just call my name. I'll send a fireball his way so you have enough time to get away."

Kaoru smiled weakly. If the gesture was sincere, or even if it wasn't, she felt warm inside knowing she had some sort of figure watching over her.

Sano rose to his feet and walked over to the door. He slid past the water god's intimidating presence easily and exited the room.

And Kaoru, was once again, alone with the water god.

"Come with me," he demanded again after an awkward silence. "_Now_."

"No," she said. "I already told you that I won't until you make it--"

There was a flash of red and then Kaoru felt a tight grip on her arm that lifted her violently to her feet.

"And _I _already told _you _that I don't take orders from humans," he growled into her ear. "Now, you're coming with me whether you like it or not." He started to pull her towards the door.

Kaoru felt her temper boil. Her blue eyes locked onto amber ones and she struggled against his hold. "Why the hell can't you just make it rain?" she shouted at him. "Just make it rain!"

He stared down at her, his face unreadable.

"Do you really want it to rain so badly?" he asked her, voice low and menacing.

Kaoru tilted her chin up and glowered at him. "Yes! Why else would I have become your sacrifice--"

"Fine," he said, cutting her off. "You want rain so badly, then you can have it."

And it _did _start to rain. It really did. Large, clear, refreshing water droplets fell from the gray clouds.

But not in the village where Kaoru wanted it to be.

No, it started to rain right on top of Kaoru's head, soaking her to the bone. She heard the clouds rumble above her as the cool rain splashed against her dry skin.

She snapped her head up at the water god. He had a smug smirk on his beautiful face, making her even angrier.

"What's wrong? I thought that you wanted the rain," he said arrogantly. "And I merely did what you asked, my little bride."

Kaoru looked ready to spit on him. Every fiber of her being was ready to throttle the bastard.

The rain stopped.

"Well, I hope that you are satisfied now," he told her, stilling holding her limp form by her arm. "We're leaving."

As he started to drag her out of the room, the water god was surprised at the lack of the resistance from the girl. He looked down and saw that her pretty blue eyes were covered by her wet bangs, so he was unable to get a feel of her emotions from her expressive orbs. But he had expected some sort of outraged reaction from her.

Was she becoming more resilient to his demands?

A girl like her, he knew, wouldn't just give up so easily. Especially something she had found to be worth arguing more. Even if it meant arguing with _him_.

"Have you lost your fighting spirit, bride?" he said, looking ahead.

"Not at all," she said, still not looking up.

There was _no way _that she was going to lose to a man like him. There was absolutely, positively, definitely _no way _that she was going to let him get the best of her. He was going to make it rain, and he was _not _going to control her like she belonged to him.

Oh no. Kamiya Kaoru was a pretty little bride that would give this water god a run for his money. And she was going to enjoy every minute of it.

**Author's Note: **Oh, what is Kaoru planning? I hoped you guys liked the feisty Kaoru in this chapter! It was really fun to write. I know that there was more Kaoru-Sano than Kaoru-Kenshin, but more of the couple will be coming soon. I also know that Kenshin is OOC but it's for the sake of the story. Remember, Kenshin _is _kind of jerk because of such a terrible, horrible--

--Ah, I can't say it. It'll ruin the story!

Haha, thanks for reading! Please review! I'll _love, love, love, _you for it! And for you _This Heart of Mine _readers, the third chapter should be up soon too, so look forward to it!

---Aya


	4. Smile

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Rurouni Kenshin nor do I own The Bride of the Water God.

**Author's Note: **Hello there! I feel that I updated this chapter pretty quickly! I'm usually pretty slow, but I think that I was really motivated to write this so I did! I think that a lot of the lovely reviews had something to do with it too. Please enjoy this chapter!

**Under the Scarlet Moon**

**IV. Smile**

Kenshin had never been good at listening to others. In fact, he was terrible at it. He didn't think that anyone's judgment was better than his. He didn't believe that anyone had the audacity to challenge his powers and mindset. And he didn't even consider that anyone could best him in anything that he could do.

That is, until he met the small girl he was dragging by the arm.

She was a strange one…that was for sure.

She talked back to him, looked at him with bold, defiant eyes, and even had the courage to defy his direct commands to her.

Kenshin wasn't sure whether he should be angry or simply amused.

Sano was right. She was definitely not like any of the other brides he had before. The others were frightened, obedient, and never looked him in the eye. He found those traits perfectly acceptable. He didn't converse with them much anyway—he let them live in peace. He wasn't tempted by any of them. They weren't enticing or pleasurable to him at all…And perhaps Sano was right again. His judgment could be a little biased…

Kenshin noticed that her arm felt limp in his hand. She probably hadn't eaten properly in many weeks due to the drought in her village. The girl hardly had any meat on her bones and was most likely extremely hungry, but she still managed to be a little hellion.

"Ow!" she suddenly exclaimed. She looked up to glare at him. "Stop pulling me! It hurts!"

Kenshin stared at her. "If I don't pull you along, you'll run away or you won't follow me. Either way, you'll make me angry."

"If _I _make you angry, it's still your fault in the first place," she muttered.

Kenshin stopped. "_My _fault?"

She rolled her eyes. "All you had to do was make it _rain_…"

"Which I did," Kenshin snapped at her.

"Yes, but uselessly. All you did was--" She paused and sneezed. "--give me a cold." She rubbed her nose as water droplets fell from her hair. "Next time you intend to be kind, can you please actually make it rain in my village?"

"Oh, _that's_ what you meant. You kept saying 'make it rain, make it rain'…So I assumed that you just wanted it rain. If you were specific, I wouldn't have made that mistake," Kenshin told her, throwing down a smirk.

She looked like she was ready to kill him.

"Let's keep going," Kenshin said, pulling her down the hall again.

"Where are we going?" she asked.

"You'll see when we get there," Kenshin told her ambiguously. "If you quit dragging your feet, we'll get there faster."

She attempted to rip her arm away from his steel grip. "And if _you _quit yanking my arm, then I wouldn't be dragging my feet."

"Bride--"

"It's Kaoru," she snapped.

He ignored her interruption. "Do you ever stop talking?"

"Does it bother you?" she inquired.

"Yes."

"Then no."

He growled at her. What was this girl trying to do? Was she trying to make him lose his patience with her again? Because honestly, his temper was already simmering.

He didn't like how she didn't submit to his will. And he definitely didn't appreciate her indignant tone towards him either. He wasn't just anyone--he was the water god. If he wished, he could drown her entire village under a hurricane. Although he usually wasn't that bothered to do such a thing, this girl was really testing his tolerance…

He tightened his grip around her arm.

"Ow!" she cried out again. "Would you stop--"

Kenshin halted in his tracks. "We're here," he said before sliding open a door. Inside, he saw Megumi sitting at her desk.

He felt the girl peek around him. "Oh, it's Megumi."

Kenshin watched as Megumi looked up from her work. "Kenshin," she said, surprised. She noticed Kaoru standing behind him. "And Kaoru."

He thrust his bride into the room. "Megumi, give her another check up and give her something for that cold."

"The cold that _you _caused," she hissed at him before sneezing.

"Afterwards, bring her down for dinner. She's probably hungry," Kenshin told Megumi. With that said, he turned and started to walk down the hallway. But he stopped when he heard the beginning of Megumi and the bride's conversation.

"You were fine when you woke up. How did you get a cold?" Megumi asked.

"Because the water god is a bastard, that's why," the girl replied angrily.

"Don't push his buttons, Kaoru," Megumi advised. "He may have been kind enough to save you, but--"

"Kind?!" his bride exclaimed. "His name and kind don't even belong in the same sentence!"

Kenshin growled. What an ungrateful woman! Although it was troublesome for him, he saved her from drowning in the sea. And still, to be acting like this her savior--a immortal _god_…

"If he was _kind _he would have made it rain in my village and not on my head," the girl said softly.

He heard another sneeze and a whimper. "Maa, I hate this," the girl sighed.

"Here's some medicine," Megumi said.

Kenshin began to walk away again. Damn, that girl was really insistent on having the rain. He expected the girl to be more bitter against her village and not so kind toward their survival. To be a sacrifice and still be so forgiving…

It was almost unbelievable. Especially with that wild temper of hers.

He thought of her bright, courageous blue eyes that burned passion. She was obviously unlike any other woman he had met before. The way she spoke to him was definitely detestable, but also somewhat refreshing…

"Oi, Kenshin," he heard a familiar voice call out.

Kenshin glanced over his shoulder and saw the fire god sitting out on the veranda overlooking the sea.

"What?" Kenshin said, sauntering out into the bright sunlight.

"So, do you wanna talk?" Sano asked, basking in the rays of the sun. As the fire god, he enjoyed every single warm day. Even when it was extremely hot, he still found the heat comfortable.

Kenshin raised his brow at the fire god's question. "About what?"

"Don't give me that. About your new bride."

"She's nothing special. She just has a tongue like a snake and a personality to prove it."

"You know, she wouldn't be like that if you just made it rain," Sano told him.

Kenshin narrowed his eyes. "It's none of your concern if I make it rain or not."

"Fine then. Well, now that you've spoken with her again, is she growing on you? Because _I _think she's--"

"Oh! There you are! I've been looking for you!" a spirited voice exclaimed brightly.

The two men looked over and saw a small woman standing in the doorway. She was smiling happily as she gazed at the two gods. She suddenly started to peek around eagerly.

"Where is she? Is she here? I want to meet her!" she complained.

"Misao, what are you talking about?" Kenshin demanded.

She gave the water god an exasperated stare. "Who else? I want to meet your new wife!"

Kenshin rolled his eyes. Enough about his wife already! There were more important things to deal with in the Water Country than a simple human girl!

"Her name's Kaoru, Misao," Sano said. "She's a pretty interesting girl, in my opinion."

The woman named Misao smiled again. "So, she's not boring like the other ones?"

"Hardly. She's got spirit, that's for sure. But you know, she really hates Kenshin," Sano told her.

Misao looked surprised. "She hates him?" She turned and glared at the water god. "What did you do?"

Kenshin, appearing very irritated, did not say anything.

"He still hasn't made it rain in her village yet and let's just say that the new bride is _not _happy about it," Sano explained.

"You haven't made it rain yet? But for all of the other girls, you made it rain right away!" Misao complained.

"Yeah, that's right. What's so different about Kaoru?" Sano demanded.

"I'm leaving," Kenshin said, avoiding the question. "The sun is bothering me. And Misao, where is Aoshi?"

Misao whipped around. "He was right behind me a few seconds ago! Damn him, where did he wander off to?"

"Nevermind, I'll find him on my own. But enough talk about my wife. She's irritating to hear about," Kenshin said, turning and walking off the veranda.

Seriously, every time he saw someone, they were demanding about his wife. She wasn't exactly a rare item--He received brides quite often. Well, he supposed that she was a little more interesting than the others, but he wasn't going to stand for anymore annoying questions regarding her. Especially as to why he wouldn't make it rain. If he didn't feel like it, then he didn't goddamn feel like it.

But, now that he thought about it, was there really any reason for him not to make it rain? Sure, the girl was annoying, and she wasn't exactly perfect bride material, but to make it not rain for so long was cruel, even for him.

He could see the desperation and determination in her eyes every time he looked at her. The only reason she was so maddening to him was because he wouldn't make it rain. In the beginning, it had only been a joke. But she spoke back to him, it angered him, so as punishment, he refused the rainfall on her village. And now, she was purposefully going to aggravate him and defy his commands.

He didn't want that. This palace was already filled with enough pestering people.

And so, he decided. After he found Aoshi, he was going to make another visit to his wife.

xXxXxXx

"You really _were _hungry, weren't you?" Megumi said as she watched Kaoru nearly demolish a bowl of rice.

Kaoru looked up from her plate. "Well, forgive me for living in a starving village suffering from drought thanks to _your _water god," she shot back.

Megumi sighed. "He'll make it rain sooner or later."

"I prefer sooner! People are dying every day due to hunger. There isn't even enough for the children, including my siblings."

"You have siblings?" Megumi asked.

Kaoru nodded. "Yes. I have a younger brother and sister."

At the thought of her siblings, Kaoru felt a pang of pain in her heart. The two were probably thirsty and famished right now. They were so young too. She clearly recalled that they were crying the day Kaoru left because they were not allowed to come and see their sister get "married".

But when Kaoru stepped out her in white wedding kimono, her younger sister had been beaming with excitement.

_"Kaoru nee-chan, when I grow up, I'm going to a pretty bride just like you!" _she had said brightly.

_"There's no way _you _could be as pretty as Nee-chan!" _her younger brother had exclaimed crossly. _"Nee-chan is the prettiest!"_

Kaoru remembered that when she heard that, she smiled for the first times in many weeks.

"I hope that they are still fine," Kaoru said softly. "I hope that they are still smiling, even now."

Megumi stared at Kaoru with pity. It was obvious that no one wanted to become Kenshin's bride, but Kaoru became the sacrifice for the sake of her village. The girl was probably pretty soft-spoken, but when it came to her village…

"So, I decided! I'm not going to do a thing that bastard says until he makes it rain! I don't care! I'll step on his feet and slip cockroaches into his bed until ends the drought in my village!" Kaoru said determinedly, clenching her fists together. "I'm not giving up!"

Megumi almost fell off of her seat. She was on fire with determination in a way that was almost scary.

"Cockroaches? Isn't that going a little overboard?" a voice said.

Kaoru glanced around until her eyes settled a young boy standing a few feet away from her.

"Really, are you going to actually put cockroaches into Kenshin's bed?" the boy asked.

Kaoru stared at the boy for a few moments before shrugging. "Well, it's only one of many plans for make him change his mind. There's plenty of other ways to do it too."

"How about you just be _nice _to him? He'll definitely relent then," the boy offered.

Kaoru narrowed her eyes. "He'sthe one that's being unreasonable. There's no way I'd give in and play the nice, pretty bride role."

"Well, obviously not. There's no way that you're pretty," the boy said.

She turned and glared at the boy. "What did you just say?"

"You heard what I said, ugly," the boy replied with a smirk.

Kaoru almost snapped a chopstick in half. "Why you little--"

"All right, all right," Megumi said, stepping in before things got out of hand. "Yahiko, that's enough."

The boy addressed as Yahiko looked sullen. "I was only telling the truth!"

"Kenshin will be angry if you keep this up," Megumi told him. "And no one likes a angry Kenshin."

The boy crossed his arms and jumped down into a chair. "Whatever."

Megumi turned to the fuming girl. "Kaoru, this is Yahiko. He lives at the palace as well. He's somewhat of an…apprentice to Kenshin."

"That's probably where he got his attitude," Kaoru growled.

"And where did you get your face?" Yahiko snapped.

"If you weren't a kid, I'd kick your ass!" Kaoru said furiously.

"I'm not a kid! And if you weren't a girl, I'd do the same!"

Megumi rolled her eyes. They had only met two minutes ago, and they were already fighting. Yahiko needed to control his mouth, otherwise Kaoru wouldn't be flaming with anger right now.

"Yahiko, Kaoru just arrived in the Water Country. Do you have to be a pain right now?" Megumi reprimanded him.

"But _she's _the one that talking about poisoning Kenshin or something--" Yahiko protested.

"Who said anything about poisoning?!" Kaoru interjected, although the idea was tempting. "The reason I don't like your beloved water god is because he's not making it rain on my village!"

There were many other reasons why she hated him as well, but that was for another argument altogether.

"It's just a stupid village, what's the big deal?" Yahiko said nonchalantly.

"If it was just a stupid village, then I wouldn't be here!" Kaoru said. "Geez, kids are so--"

"I already told you, I'm not a kid!"

"What's all of this noise? I can hear you all the way down the corridor," a deep, smooth voice said.

All three of them turned and saw none other than the water god himself standing in the door, looking over the scene with bemused amber eyes.

"Kenshin!" Yahiko said in surprise.

"You were the loudest," Kenshin, the water god, said to the boy. "Haven't I said that I dislike a racket?"

"Yes, Kenshin-sama," Yahiko muttered.

After dealing with the boy, Kenshin turned and looked at Kaoru. She bristled under the intensity of his gaze. "Are you finished eating?" he asked her.

"Maybe…" Kaoru said, unsure which answer would get her into a uneasy situation.

"Well, you are now," Kenshin told her, reaching out and grabbing her arm. "Let's go."

"Oh, not this again!" Kaoru cried. She thrash about furiously as she was pulled out of her chair. "Let me go! I don't want to go with you!"

"Have I ever brought you anywhere that wasn't for your own benefit?" Kenshin said, looking down.

"You brought me _here_," Kaoru answered.

"Besides that."

Kaoru huffed. "It doesn't matter. Let me _go_!"

"No."

"Let me go or…or…I-I'll _bite _you!" Kaoru said lamely.

When Kenshin heard that, he had to stop himself from laughing. Honestly, this woman…

"You'll _bite _me? Bride, if you wish to have everything go your way, you'll have to come up with a better strategy than _biting _me."

"It'll hurt!" Kaoru warned.

"I'll get over it," Kenshin replied smoothly. He continued to pull her along as he walked down the corridor and towards the outdoors. He was glad that it was sunset as he approached the open lakeside by the palace. He wasn't a fan of extremely hot days; they tended to wear him out. When they stepped out onto the bridge that crossed over the water, he released Kaoru's arm.

Kaoru gazed at her surroundings. Although it was beautiful, she frowned at his back. "What are we doing here?"

Kenshin didn't reply. Instead, he crouched down and waved his hand over the water.

Kaoru, curious, padded forward and looked over the god's shoulder. Her eyes grew wide as she saw the image before her. Through the water, Kaoru could see a clear vision of her village; dry, famished, and thirsty for rain. Everything in the village was brown and parched. It was not going to be a fruitful spring, the flowers would not bloom, and people would die… There was no happiness in that village, only pain and suffering. She felt her heart tighten when she saw familiar faces across the image.

"Ayame! Satoru!" she gasped out her sibling's names. "Mother! Father!"

Kenshin glanced at her through the corner of his eye. Her face was clearly distraught. She looked more vulnerable than anything he had even seen before. For the first time, he saw a weakness in her. She clutched her kimono tightly, almost as though she feared she was going to lose herself.

Every second she gazed at the village, she lost a piece of her heart. They all looked so lifeless. She wanted to desperately to help them, to save them. Out of worry, she reached out towards the water.

Kenshin's hand snapped out and grasped her own. "Don't," he whispered to her. "If you touch it, you'll lose the image."

Kaoru looked up and glowered at him. "Why are you showing me this?" she demanded. "I already know that my village is suffering. This is just cruel if you aren't going to make it rain."

Kenshin stared at her. Although she looked defiant and angry, her hands were shaking from ache she was feeling.

"You wanted it to rain there, didn't you?" Kenshin asked softly.

"That's the only reason why I'm here!"

"Then if I do make it rain, I don't want to hear your complaints anymore," Kenshin said, dipping his hand into the lake and lifting up a palm full of water.

"What are you…" Kaoru trailed off as she watched the water god's hand move across the reflection. He poured the water over the image in the lake and instantly the sky in the village became gray and cloudy. Kaoru watched in amazement as rain began to fall over the village and onto the dry, dusty land.

The villagers looked up towards the heavens and reached out, to make sure that this was real and not a cruel dream. The water touched their arid skin and their faces began to break out into glorious smiles. Soon, they were rejoicing, running around under the rain, drinking the droplets from their palms, and washing their faces with the cool water.

Her siblings Ayame and Satoru danced happily under the rain with the other village children. The kicked at the fresh, muddy puddles and laughed when the water splashed into their delighted faces. She saw her once guilt-ridden mother weep into her hands out of joy and her stoic father simply stared up at endless sky.

It was so beautiful that it was almost heartbreaking.

And watching those moments, Kaoru felt silent tears surface at her eyes.

"Is this what you wanted?" Kenshin asked from beside her.

From his voice, Kaoru once again became aware of her surroundings. She immediately rubbed her sleeve against her eyes, wiping away any stray tears. She opened her mouth to reply, but she felt that if she spoke, she would start to sob instead. So she simply nodded.

"Good," Kenshin said, getting to his feet. "Then, I don't want to hear anymore whining from you. You got what you wanted and--"

He stopped when he felt something tug at his sleeve. He looked down and saw Kaoru holding the fabric, not meeting his eyes.

"You could have done this earlier, you know. And saved yourself a lot of trouble," she said.

Kenshin scowled at her.

"But…You still saved my village…"

She was silent for a few more seconds and Kenshin stared at her intently.

"So…Thank you," Kaoru said softly.

And then she looked up and smiled.

It was the first time he had ever seen her smile and it was one of the most breathtaking things he had ever seen. She wasn't the most beautiful girl in the world, but perhaps her extraordinary trait was the way her eyes lit up when she genuinely smiled. And by the way her expressive blue eyes shined told him that everything about this smile was sincere.

Kenshin felt a warm, unusual sensation rise in his chest while staring down at her smiling face. The feeling was strong and strange, even going far enough to make him feel uncomfortable. Kenshin did not like it. No, he didn't like it one bit.

He ripped his arm away from her weak grip. "Girl--"

"It's Kaoru," she told him again, but this time it was gentler than her normal tone towards him.

"Do not assume that I will bend to your will next time," Kenshin said coolly. "It was only to make you stop pestering me."

"Fine. But then, don't make my village fall under weeks of drought again," Kaoru said, pulling up the hem of her kimono and dipping her feet into the water.

The image of her sitting with her legs in the lake against the setting sun was absolutely stunning. Before that sensation in his rose in his chest again, Kenshin turned away. He walked back towards the palace, away from the strange girl named Kaoru with a remarkable smile.

**Author's Note:** My, my. Is Kaoru starting to grow on our cold, stubborn water god?! Haha. I hope you guys liked this chapter. I was really looking forward to writing it, so I hoped that it turned out okay. I was going to extend the "make it rain!" conflict for another chapter, but I wanted to enter the main plot sooner so I ended it earlier that I thought. Notice how I intermixed their thoughts in the final part of this chapter…It's important because they are starting to…understand and tolerate each other! OMG, it's happening!

Next chapter will be a introduction to some more vital characters and relationships and perhaps a little into Kenshin's past?! Dun-dun-dun…!

I really appreciate reviews! Thanks to all of the readers that leave one! I would like to reach 100 reviews for this story by the next chapter. It would make me VERY happy! There will be cookies for the 100th reviewer and maybe even some sort of reward!

Again, hope you guys liked the chapter and please leave a review!

--Aya


	5. Summons

**Disclaimer: **__I don't own Rurouni Kenshin, nor do I own The Bride of the Water God.

**Author's Note: **I'm back again! It's really soon, and I'm not sure why, but I was once again really motivated to write in this story! Guess what, my lovely readers? This chapter is FULL of information! It's starting to delve into the actual plot, with Kenshin's past and new character development! Yay! So, go on and read!

**Under the Scarlet Moon**

**V. Summons**

_In a white morning mist, he saw her standing in the middle of the garden. She looked peaceful and serene as she was surrounded by large, blooming flowers. Her long black hair danced in the soft wind. She turned to him when she heard him walking towards her through in the tall grasses._

_"Look, the white plum blossoms are blooming. Isn't it beautiful?" she said, with a small smile. _

_"Yes, it is," he replied, staring directly at her. When he reached her, he pulled her against him so that her back rested against his chest. He wrapped his arms around her waist and buried his nose in her hair._

_"If I were to die, I'd want to be buried in a field of white plum blossoms," she told him, picking up a flower and putting it to her nose. "Remember that, will you?"_

_"Sorry, but I can't do that," he teased her gently. _

_She looked up at him with a frown. "And why not?"_

_"You'll never die. You'll always stay by my side," he said, tightening his hold around her._

_She sighed when she heard that. "You can't control death. Even if you are a god."_

_"Gods can control anything. I would never let you die," he said firmly. _

_She turned around to face him with a sad look in her eyes. "Even if that is so, you can't control _me_. One day, I may be gone, and then what will you do?"_

_ He studied her serene face for a few moments. "Why would you ever leave?"_

_She laughed then. It was a beautiful laugh that made him smile in return. She threw her arms around his neck. "That's true. I have no reason to leave. After all, we are bound together forever." _

Kenshin's eyes snapped open. Looking around, he saw himself brooding in the shade of the trees as he distinctly heard the laughter and voices of his companions frolicking around in the shallow waters of the forest lake. He suddenly remembered where he was and he relaxed once again. The air around him was cool and refreshing, since the hot and bright rays of the sun were filtered through the thick canopies of the treetops.

Damn, how long had it been since he had this dream? It had been ages…

It had been so vivid, so tangible…He felt as though she had really been standing in his arms. Even her scent seemed so real…

He hated when he dreamed about her. It made him feel weak, vulnerable, and even worse, it made him feel a pain in his chest he did not like. During the times he thought about her, he opted not to sleep and stay awake during the nights. As he was a god, it was not necessary for him to sleep; it was more like a luxury. On those sleepless nights, he would usually rest in the shallow waters of the lake. The cool water brought him some of the best comfort.

He heard a musical laugh and he looked ahead to see Kaoru and Yahiko playing childishly in the water. The two of them had obviously gotten over the earlier annoyances and now were amusing themselves in the waters like siblings. His wife had the hem of her yukata folded up so that it allowed her legs to move freely as she splashed around.

His gaze lingered a little longer on Kaoru, seeing if the unwanted feeling rose in his chest again. He waited for several moments, but it didn't come. Kenshin relaxed back against his chair. It must have a been a fluke emotion, that's it. It was only a one-time thing, and he was grateful.

"Are you feeling better now, Kenshin?" he heard Megumi ask from beside him.

Kenshin looked to his left. "I was fine before. _You _were the one that insisted that we take this recuperation trip."

"It would be better for you to get out of the sun. It's not good for you," Megumi reminded the water god.

Kenshin stubbornly looked away. He was well-aware that the heat surrounding the palace was exhausting to him and he hated it. It was a weakness being susceptible extreme heat, and Kenshin hated being weak. But after a heat spell fell over the Water Country, and following some of Kenshin's fatigue due to the weather, Sano suggested the idea at breakfast one morning…

_"Jou-chan, have you ever been to the east side of the country?" Sano asked her._

_"Sano, I've only been living here for about one week. I've never even left the palace once!" she replied, putting another serving of rice into her mouth._

_"Well, we should go. You'll like it there, jou-chan. It's mostly forest and it's really beautiful," Sano said. "And you'll get to leave the palace."_

_Kaoru looked very tempted by the offer. "It sounds really nice…"_

_"There's no need," Kenshin cut in. "What's the point of traveling all the way to the east? It's perfectly fine at the palace."_

_"But it's getting hot and the forests are nice and cool," Sano said. "It'll be good for you."_

_Kenshin arched a brow at his friend. "Don't give me that. I know that you love the warm weather," he said coolly, knowing where this conversation was heading. "I don't want to go."_

_"I do!" Kaoru said brightly. _

_Kenshin gave her a frigid glare. "You're my wife and if I don't want to go, then you aren't going either." _

_"You can't order me around," Kaoru snapped at him. _

_"You want to bet on that?" Kenshin shot back. _

_"Come on, Kenshin. Jou-chan wants to go. I bet Yahiko would want to go as well. Let's make it a family vacation," Sano said with a grin._

_"Since when have we been a family?" Kenshin growled, his eyebrow twitching._

_"I think it's a good idea," Megumi suddenly said, interrupting the tense atmosphere around the table. "It _is _getting too hot here and Kaoru still needs to see the Water Country."_

_"She doesn't _need _to see anything," Kenshin said coldly._

_Kaoru gave him a dark stare. _

_"Kenshin, it'll be best for you as well if we go. The cooler air at the forest will be a good healing process…" Megumi said softly, so only the water god hear._

_"I don't need it," Kenshin said. "And I certainly don't want everyone pestering me about it." _

Despite his statement, Megumi pressed on and on about the issue, and Sano found irritating ways to remind him about how Kaoru really wanted to go, until the point where Kenshin found it so annoying he was willing to summon a hurricane on all of them. When he finally agreed to go, Misao had heard and insisted that she come along as well. Kenshin knew that her real motive was to get to know Kaoru, and she and his wife were becoming quite friendly with one another.

"Kaoru, do you like it here?" Misao asked.

Kaoru smiled cheerfully. "It's so beautiful! I feel so relaxed here."

"The relaxation you feel is because of the plants connection to the earth. It's life in it's purest form," Misao told her.

Kaoru studied the small woman beside her. "You know a lot about this. Are you another…"

"This forest is actually my homeland. About a century ago, I came to live at the palace."

"A century ago?" Kaoru exclaimed. But Misao looked to be about the same age as her!

Misao giggled. "Don't be so surprised. Gods retain a young form for eternity. So even though Kenshin is about eight-hundred years old, he still looks like he's twenty-four."

_Eight-hundred?! _Kaoru thought in astonishment. She glanced back over her shoulder to the water god. His face was, as always, young and beautiful. And although he was a temperamental god, from any angle or any expression, he still appeared as handsome as any man she'd ever met.

She must have been staring at him for sometime because Kenshin looked up and caught her gaze, his gold eyes locking with her blue ones. The intensity of his stare caused her to blush and look away quickly.

No matter how good-looking he was, he was still a controlling bastard that used her pain as amusement.

…But he _did _end the drought in her village. Kaoru's mind flashbacked to the one time she felt the water god being kind to her. He let her see her family, and watch as they happily received rain for the first time in one year. When he did that for her, she felt a strange gentleness toward him. But when she tried to thank him, he brushed off her gratefulness rudely.

Shaking her head to get the water god out of mind, she turned back to Misao to ask another question.

"Misao, if this is your homeland, why did you come to live at the palace?"

"My master who rules over the forest comes to the palace often to speak with Kenshin. They are really good allies. He told me to remain at the palace."

Kaoru tilted her head to the side. "Your…master?"

Misao smiled. "Yes, my master. His name is Aoshi. He's actually rules over this entire forest. He's the god of wind."

"God of wind?" Kaoru repeated slowly.

Misao nodded. "He's very strong. He's almost on par with Kenshin. And Kenshin is very powerful."

Kaoru resisted the urge to roll her eyes. She was fully aware that Kenshin was very powerful. After all, she had been the brunt of his rage once before. The sudden show of his power was actually very frightening.

"You'll probably see Aoshi-sama sometime soon," Misao chirped happily. "We _are _in his domain."

"Are you talking about Aoshi?" Yahiko abruptly asked.

"Aoshi-_sama_ to you, Yahiko. He's well above you in ranking," Misao said.

Yahiko snorted. "He's just a tall, silent brooding guy. I've never even heard a sentence out of his mouth before."

"Don't talk about Aoshi-sama that way!" Misao growled.

"I can do whatever I want," Yahiko countered.

Kaoru sighed and walked away to leave the arguing pair. She continued to splash in the shallow waters as she ambled forward, feeling at peace with the atmosphere of the forest. This place was so relaxing, compared the air of the palace. She loved it here.

She suddenly heard the loud barking of an animal. Looking over, she saw a black dog standing at the shore of the lake. The dog stared at her intently, but barked at her to get her attention. Curious, she walked over to the animal with a smile.

"What are you doing here?" she asked the dog, kneeling down before it. "Are you lost?"

The dog wagged it's tail in a playful manner, and stepped closer to Kaoru.

"Do you not have a family?" Kaoru said.

The dog shook his head, as if to answer her question. Kaoru laughed.

"I guess we're similar then," she said, reaching out to pet the animal.

A strange feeling alerted Kenshin's senses. He jumped upright. The feeling was evil and ominous, and out for bloodshed. Glancing around quickly, he attempted to find the source of the disturbance. He found it at the other side of the lake. He looked over and saw it standing by his wife.

"Kaoru! Get away!" Kenshin shouted, startling his companions beside him.

"Eh?" Kaoru said, turning to see Kenshin standing up, looking alarmed. Suddenly, she felt a dark aura surrounding her and she trembled. When she looked back at the dog, she stared in horror as the animal transformed into a malicious looking creature, exposing it's razor-sharp teeth at her, ready to take her as it's next meal.

Kenshin ran out towards the lake and cursed. _Dammit, I'm too late…_

Kaoru clamped her eyes shut and turned away, expecting a painful bite to gnaw off her arm. But she felt nothing. Instead, there was the loud sweep of a blade and the strong scent of blood in air--blood that fortunately wasn't hers. When she heard the beast cry out in pain, she opened her eyes fearfully.

Standing above her was a white-haired man holding a blade in his hand. She looked over and saw the creature lying dead on the ground. The man gazed down at her before kneeling beside her.

"Are you all right?" he asked, his dark eyes burning into hers.

"I…" she trailed off, wary of the stranger but grateful for him saving her. She looked into his handsome face and felt a blush cross her cheeks. The intensity of his stare made her feel uncomfortable.

"Enishi," Kenshin's powerful voice said, cutting through the atmosphere like a knife. "What are you doing here?"

Kaoru looked back at the water god, who was, like when they first met, standing on the surface of the lake. She was surprised to see Kenshin staring at her savior with cold and suspicious eyes.

"Well, I've come on here on imperial orders," the man named Enishi replied smoothly. "But I'm the one that just saved this woman here."

_Imperial orders? _Kaoru thought. _What in the world could that mean? _

Kenshin clenched his fists at his side, angry at Enishi's smug tone of superiority. He snapped his gaze down at Kaoru. "You stupid girl," he barked, releasing his anger at her. "Why the hell did you have to wander off for?"

"I didn't mean…" she protested, but Kenshin silenced her with a look.

"There's no need for you to be here," Kenshin said coldly to Enishi. "Leave." Then he reached down and grabbed Kaoru's arm, lifting her to her feet. "Let's go."

Kaoru felt herself being pulled away forcefully. They left Enishi standing at the shore. She looked at Kenshin angrily. "I have to thank him for saving me!" she told him.

"There's no need," Kenshin said. "Any one could have saved you."

"But _he's _one thatdid. It's only polite that I--"

"I already said that there isn't any need for that. _Don't _disobey my orders," Kenshin hissed darkly. "He's not someone for you to get along with."

Kaoru was taken aback by the water god's cold and serious tone toward the white-haired man. It was obvious that they didn't get along and most likely hated each other, but Enishi was still the man that saved her…

"Jou-chan, are you all right?" Sano demanded when he approached them. He looked over Kenshin's shoulder. "And why is Enishi here?"

Kenshin shrugged. "He came here on _imperial _orders. If it has anything to do with imperial house, I don't want to deal with it."

"But if it's imperial orders, you can't really refuse…" Sano said. "And even if you do, the--"

"Ow! Could you let go now?" Kaoru said, reminding the two gods she was still standing between them. She struggled in Kenshin's firm grip. "It hurts."

Kenshin released her arm. "Don't do anymore idiotic things like that again. It causes trouble for everyone."

She glared at him. "I didn't know that the dog was a…was a…" She stopped. She had no idea what that creature was.

"Don't worry about it, jou-chan," Sano said kindly, patting her head. "It was a forest demon. Since you are a human, you can't distinguish spirits. Just be more careful next time."

Kaoru frowned. Hopefully, there wouldn't be a next time.

"Sano, quit spoiling her, would you?" Kenshin told his friend.

"I'm not spoiling her, I'm simply being kind. It wouldn't kill you to do the same," Sano snapped.

"Kaoru!" Misao exclaimed, running towards them. "Are you okay? I'm so sorry, Kaoru. I should've kept a closer eye on you."

Kaoru sighed. "It's okay. I just wandered off on my own and…" She looked back to see Enishi still standing at the edge of the lake. She briefly wondered if she could sneak away from Kenshin's watchful gaze to go and thank the other man. But to her surprise, Enishi suddenly started to walk over to them.

Kenshin noticed Enishi's presence heading towards them. He glanced over and scowled. "What do you want?" he called out irritably.

"I told you I came on imperial orders. If that isn't enough for you to guess…" Enishi said.

Kaoru glanced back and forth between Kenshin and Enishi. There was so much talk about these imperial orders. But what did they mean?

"What does the old man want?" Kenshin demanded impatiently.

"The Emperor is summoning you to his kingdom," Enishi said and then he switched his gaze to stare pointedly at the confused Kaoru. "And he expects you to bring your newest wife."

**Author's Note: **What! There's an emperor? You bet there is! Haha. And Enishi is in here also! I hope you can tell the dislike these two have for each other. It's a _big _part of the story. And yes, I hope you can distinguish the female at the beginning of the story. I know a lot of you are waiting for Kenshin to be nice to Kaoru, but since I made him angry, I can't just have him change in the matter of a couple of chapters. But this IS a KK fic, so don't worry, the love will be coming soon!

Oh, and congrats to **Otaku's Moon **for being the 100th reviewer! Yay! *gives you cookies* Since you were the 100th reviewer, you get a prize! Tell me a scene or a line that you would like to have in this story, and in one chapter, I will incorporate it in! Please PM me and let me know.

For the rest of my lovely readers, thanks for reviewing last time! I love all of you! Please drop a review once again for this chapter to let me know how you liked it!

---Aya


	6. Wind

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Rurouni Kenshin, nor do I own Bride of the Water God.

**Author's Note: **Uwah~ It's me! I know, it took so long for me to post this chapter! Honestly, I thought it would be done pretty quick, but I kept changing the stuff in this chapter. I kept rearranging things until I was satisfied…I hate it when that happens. I love it when I am able to just write clearly and see the ending that I like. Anyway, this chapter is titled "Wind"…So guess who comes in here? Haha! Also, thanks for all of the lovely reviews! You guys inspire me to write! ^-^ Now, off you go!

**Under the Scarlet Moon**

**VI. Wind**

"The Emperor is summoning you to his kingdom," Enishi said and then he switched his gaze to stare pointedly at the confused Kaoru. "And he expects you to bring your newest wife."

_Emperor? _Kaoru thought in surprise. She looked up at Kenshin.

"Tell him that I refuse," Kenshin said bluntly.

"You cannot refuse an imperial summon, even if the Emperor _is _your father," Enishi said.

_Father? Emperor? What the hell is going on here? _Kaoru's mind was going to explode from confusion.

"I have no interest in traveling all the way to the Emperor's kingdom," Kenshin replied.

"The Emperor is throwing a feast in your honor, and he expects you to be there. All of the other gods are expected to attend as well." Enishi stared at directly at Sano.

"I'm being summoned too?" Sano groaned. "And jou-chan here is supposed to come along?"

"She is the water god's wife and therefore she should be at Kenshin's side when he arrives," Enishi answered. "The Emperor is expecting you in two days time."

Enishi turned and started to walk away. Kaoru suddenly remembered she had yet to thank him. She looked at Kenshin and saw that he was preoccupied with thoughts of the summoning to notice if she left to speak with the other man. Slowly, she crept away from Kenshin's side as he spoke softly to Sano, and hurried over to Enishi.

"Wait!" she called out.

Enishi looked back and appeared surprised when he saw her. He stopped and waited for her to catch up with him.

When she approached him, she smiled kindly. "Th-Thank you for saving me from the demon back there. It was very kind of you."

He stared down at her curiously before relaxing. "If I see a woman in danger, I simply can't let her be. It was nothing."

"But if it wasn't for you, I'd probably be bleeding right now so…" Kaoru said.

"Don't worry about it. Just make sure not to run into anymore demons. I might not be there to save you next time," he told her firmly.

Kaoru laughed. "I promise to be extra careful from here on out."

"Good. But if were you, I'd probably go back. Your husband doesn't look too pleased with you right now."

Kaoru suddenly felt the water around her feet become icy cold. She glanced back over her shoulder and saw Kenshin standing at the shore with dark, intimidating eyes. Megumi, Misao and Yahiko had retreated away from the water god into the shade and even Sano had taken a step back. She gulped out of nervousness before quickly raising her chin indignantly.

"He's just bullying me around. I…" Kaoru stopped when the water, if possible, became even colder. By the temperature of the lake, she could tell he was furious at her for disobeying his orders, and for also not returning the moment he cooled the water.

"Go back to him before he gets even angrier. I appreciate your thanks," Enishi said, suddenly fading away. "Until next time, Kaoru."

_How did he know my name? _Kaoru wondered briefly before slowly walking back to the shore. _And what did he mean by next time? _

Kenshin's rage rolled off of him in vicious waves and Kaoru winced as she headed closer to him. She knew that he probably going to--once again--grab her arm and try to frighten her into doing as he says. She hated being his victim so she marched up to him and prepared herself for his threatening shouts.

As soon as she got near him, she felt his hostile glare on her.

"Are you inept to following orders?" he said, scowling at her.

Kaoru boldly folded her arms across her chest. "If they are _stupid _ones, then yes I am."

"I already told you that he isn't someone for you to--"

"And _I _already told you that I don't have to listen--"

"All right, let's not get into a fight," Sano said, stepping in. "Although you two practically have one every hour."

"Don't interfere, Sano," Kenshin snarled. He wanted to know why his wife was so determined to thank a man he obviously disliked. For some reason, her persistence angered him beyond words.

"Come on, Kenshin. Jou-chan doesn't know any better. She just wanted to thank Enishi. And even though you two don't get along, it doesn't mean _she_--"

"She's my wife and if I don't get along with someone, she certainly cannot either," Kenshin interrupted coldly. Especially when she was off over there with Enishi, smiling so naturally and pleasantly, something that she had hardly showed _him_…her husband. The moment he saw her standing by Enishi, laughing at whatever the bastard had said, something clenched in his chest. It wasn't that warm feeling from the time he let rain fall on her village, it was a feeling of hostility, anger and possessiveness. He wasn't even sure why he was so enraged at her.

Kaoru felt an muscle near her eyebrow twitch. "'My wife this' and 'my wife that'! Dammit, I'm _not _a possession!" she suddenly exclaimed.

Kenshin stared at her for a few tense moments. "Let me ask you a question. What are you doing here?" he asked her.

"What do you mean?" Kaoru said hotly.

"State your purpose here in the Water Country," he prompted her.

"What does that have anything to do with--"

"Answer," he commanded.

She stubbornly looked away, not wanting to met his smirking eyes. "I'm here to be your wife," Kaoru grumbled.

"Speak up, I can't hear you."

"Because I'm your wife," she repeated in a louder, but still annoyed voice.

"Exactly. And as long as you are here you do what _I _say," Kenshin said, sending a condescending glower her way. She belonged to _him_, her enchanting smiles and all. He turned and walked away. "Let's go to Aoshi's castle. I'm tired of this place."

Kaoru moved forward, as if she was ready to jump and strangle him to death. But Sano caught her around the waist and pushed her back.

"Not a good idea, jou-chan," Sano whispered in her ear. "Don't test Kenshin. He's already bad-tempered enough with the Emperor's summons, and if you push him anymore then…"

"He's not a child!" Kaoru snapped back in a soft voice. "He uses things for his amusement and thinks he can order me around, I can't--"

"Let this one slide. He's not really angry that you disobeyed him…He's just jealous."

Kaoru's eyebrows shot high into her forehead. She stared up at the fire god in surprise. "Excuse me, but did you just say _jealous_? You must be mistaken. There's no way…"

"Think about it, jou-chan. Kenshin is a powerful god and probably didn't like it when another man saved his wife when he couldn't. His…_pride _is hurt and you really aren't helping when you keep repeating how Enishi is your savior."

Kaoru looked over at Kenshin's retreating form. Pride? Hell yeah, Kenshin had a lot of that. But _jealous _of that the fact that she was talking to another man? It hardly seemed likely; otherwise Kenshin would have scolded her for speaking to Sano as well. She let out an exasperated sigh. Jealously just wasn't possible, not at all.

xXxXxXx

It had been several years since Kenshin last visited Aoshi's castle in the eastern forest. Aoshi usually came to Kenshin's palace when they had things to discuss or Kenshin sent Misao back to the east. He knew that Misao did not mind; she loved going back to the castle and visiting her dear Aoshi.

"Oh…" he heard his wife say from behind him. He glanced back at her and saw that her eyes were sparkling with wonder. "It's beautiful."

"Isn't it?" Misao chirped from beside her. "Aoshi-sama's castle is connected with the forest trees and plants. It makes it feel as peaceful as the forest."

"It feels like this place is magical…" Kaoru said.

_Of course, you idiot. The entire realm of gods is magical, _Kenshin thought with a roll of his eyes.

"What's the big deal?" Yahiko said. "It's just a castle. If anything, Kenshin's one is a lot bigger."

Kenshin couldn't help but agree.

"It's not about size," Kaoru told him. "Honestly, this place makes me feel a lot more at ease."

_Then move out, _Kenshin thought with bit of irritation.

All of them walked into the main foyer of the palace and a maid greeted them. "Welcome," she said respectfully.

"Where is Aoshi?" Kenshin asked.

"Aoshi-sama is speaking with the imperial messenger the moment," the maid told them. "He will be returning shortly. Please come inside and wait for him."

"Enishi is here too then?" Kenshin said, pulling a face.

"Yes. Kenshin-sama, Sanosuke-sama, would you like to join them?" she asked the other two gods.

"No." Kenshin's reply was instant.

"Since we're waiting for Aoshi-sama, let's go eat," Misao suggested.

"I'm starving," Yahiko complained.

"Then please follow me to the dining hall," the maid said, bowing and leading the way, and everyone slowly followed behind.

"It's so good to be home!" Misao said brightly. "It's been ages!"

"What are you talking about?" Kenshin said. "I sent you here just the other day."

"But I only got to stay for a little while," Misao said. "And I…"

Kaoru didn't hear the rest of the conversation as something softly tickled her ear, whispering her name.

_Kaoru…Kaoru…_

Not even a second after, a raw sensation rushed through her entire body. It was strong enough to make her stop in her tracks, but gentle and comforting enough not to alarm her. The others continued to move forward, chatting away, taking no notice of her abrupt halt.

_Kaoru…Kaoru…Kaoru…_

She glanced around her, searching for a person, a creature, anything that could be calling out her name. The others couldn't hear, they had already turned the corner without a single distraction.

She spun around and started walking down the corridor, and the calling of her name became louder and clearer. With every step she took, the calls enticed her more and more. And when she came to a slightly ajar door, the murmurs were distinct, and she didn't even think about the consequences of her actions. She curiously pushed the door open completely and stepped inside.

The whispers stopped.

Within the room was a small, flourishing garden. Kaoru remembered what Misao had said earlier; the entire castle of the wind god was connected to the forest, taking in the purest form of life. Just as she was when she was in the forest, Kaoru felt strangely and wonderfully at ease.

_We were waiting for you…Kaoru…_

__The whispers started again, but were far more welcoming and endearing.

"What is this?" Kaoru wondered aloud, as a calm, graceful breeze fluttered through the garden and swirled around her, pulling her in. She reached forward to touch a pink tulip when a strong gust of wind pushed her back. It was powerful enough to knock the air out of her lungs and send her crashing into a rigid pillar.

But pillars didn't have hands that grasped her shoulders nor the ability to spin her around effortlessly. With a sharp gasp, she looked up and saw a tall, dark-haired man towering over her.

"What are you doing here?" he demanded of her, his voice low.

"I…" Kaoru started, not sure of what to say.

"You're human." It was a statement, not a question.

Kaoru nodded.

"What are you doing here?" he repeated, still forceful. "Humans aren't supposed to be here in my castle, let alone the realm of gods."

This was _his _castle? She looked him up and down. He had a certain aura surrounding him, and just like Sano and Kenshin, he was quite attractive. It clicked in Kaoru's mind.

"Wind…god…?" she said.

Another blast of air soared through the garden, a gentle yet invigorating wind. It was as if a invisible blanket was wrapped around her. He stared down at her with hooded eyes. "Yes."

"Oh, then you are Misao's beloved Aoshi-sama!" Kaoru exclaimed with a smile.

On his strangely impassive face, Kaoru caught of flicker of surprise. "Who are you? How do you know Misao?"

She bowed in greeting. "I am Kaoru. I live in the water castle with Misao."

"…Kaoru?" he said, gazing at her suspiciously for a moment before realization passed over him. "Oh, you are Kenshin's newest wife."

She sighed. She _hated _always being tied to Kenshin whether by marriage or by introduction. But without Kenshin, she supposed, she really had no purpose in Water Country.

"Yes, I am," Kaoru said.

"Still, even if you are Kenshin's wife, what are you doing here?"

"Do you mean why I am in this garden or why am I in your castle?"

She saw something tug at the corner of his lips. "Both."

"Well," she said, beginning her story, "I'm here because we came to visit the Eastern forest. I'm not sure why, but Megumi said it was very urgent that we come."

"It's probably because of the heat wave passing over the main palace," Aoshi told her.

Kaoru looked confused. "What does a heat wave have to do with anything?" she asked.

"Because Kenshin…" He stopped before shaking his head. "It doesn't matter. So you are here with Kenshin?"

"Not just Kenshin," Kaoru said hastily. "Misao, Megumi, Sano, and Yahiko came as well. It's like a vacation."

"Kenshin hates vacationing," he said matter-of-factly.

"Yeah, he didn't want to come, but it seems that he was persuaded," Kaoru said with another smile.

"And the reason why you are in this garden?"

"Oh! That's the weird thing!" Kaoru said to him, remembering the strange situation earlier. "Someone was calling my name from in here. But there isn't anyone around." She looked up at him. "Do you know who it could be?"

"It was the spirits of the garden."

Kaoru stared at him. "Excuse me?"

Aoshi waved his hand to indicate the surrounding plants. "This is a magical garden. Lost spirits live within the plants."

"So it was the spirits that were calling my name?"

"You got tricked by their spell. Since you are human, you are more susceptible to their charms," he explained. "If I hadn't stopped you from touching that flower before, you probably would've lost your soul."

Kaoru paled. "Lost my soul? Seriously?"

Aoshi nodded briskly.

She placed a hand over her chest. "I like my soul right where it is. Thank you for stopping me." She sighed. "God, I'm really playing the damsel in distress role today. This is the second time I've been saved."

He turned towards her. "What do you mean the second time?"

"In the forest, a demon attacked me and a man named Enishi saved me."

"Enishi, huh?" Aoshi said, and a smirk crossed his face. "I'm sure Kenshin didn't like that."

Kaoru flinched as she recalled Kenshin's hostility. "No, he didn't. But he's such a child. He didn't have to get so angry. Honestly, he can't control himself."

Aoshi gazed down at her, looking somewhat amused at her blatant truthfulness. "You are surprisingly different."

"I hear that often," Kaoru told him grudgingly. "Am I really that different from all of the other brides? I mean, am I the only one to have a will of her own?"

"It's more like you don't seem to be frightened by Kenshin too much," Aoshi said.

Frankly, at times Kenshin did scare her. He was controlling and he always wanted her to bend to his will. He was bad-tempered…and he was always so goddamn _arrogant_…She was quite sure that he hated her for her smart mouth and constant defiance. In a way, it was kind of heartbreaking, because she had never been hated by anyone before…

_"…Let this one slide. He's really not that angry that you disobeyed him…He's just jealous…_

Sano's statement from the lake replayed in her mind and she stopped her mental abuse of the water god. Jealousy isn't a sign of hatred, so if he really _was _jealous, then Kenshin shouldn't hate her…

_Okay, stop right there Kamiya Kaoru. There is no possible way that Kenshin, the cruel water god, would be jealous. Jealousy means that he would have to _like _you and wouldn't want to see you with another man. And for Kenshin to like you…_

Impossible. It was _so _impossible.

"Oh, well, he does try to frighten me. He bullies me all the time but I just don't give into him," Kaoru replied, coming back to reality.

"And _that _makes you different, Kaoru," Aoshi told her.

She waved her hand in disapproval. "Not at all."

"No. Even Tomoe wasn't this outspoken…"

"Tomoe?" Kaoru said, unfamiliar with the name. "Who is she?"

For a few moments, Aoshi was silent. He looked out over the beautiful garden, the colorful plants that thrived with sunshine and magic. When he finally did speak, he didn't turn to her.

"She…is someone you will learn about soon enough," was his simple reply.

Kaoru was confused but didn't press the matter. Along with the wind god, she stared out over the vivid garden that seemed to call her name again, tempting her into a different darkness that would befall over her long before she knew it.

**Author's Note: **Uh-oh, what situation is looming over our back talking heroine? I don't even think I know! Haha. This chapter was a charming encounter between Aoshi and Kaoru. I hoped that I didn't make it too awkward. Well, I introduced a bit of Kenshin's feelings towards Kaoru…They are finally starting to grow! And also Tomoe…Here she is! Next chapter I reveal who she is and what she means to the plot of the story.

I hope that you guys liked this chapter! Please do leave a review for me. They make my day!

---Aya


	7. Compassion

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Rurouni Kenshin, nor do I own The Bride of the Water God.  
**Author's Note: **I'm baaack!! …Please don't hate me! I'm sorry that it took so long for me to post this chapter up! I've become a college freshman this year, and obviously, my studies come before my fanfics. But since I'm on winter break right now, I was able to actually get some stuff done. Hope that you like this chapter, it explores a lot of emotions of Kaoru, and especially Kenshin.

**Under the Scarlet Moon**

**VII. Compassion**

"Kaoru! Kaoru!" a voice called out, breaking through the silence in the garden. Kaoru jumped in alarm and turned to face the wind god with a curious expression.

"You can hear that too, right?" she asked, wanting to make sure it wasn't the creepy spirits again.

"It's Misao."

Relieved, she rushed out of the garden and saw the rest of the group standing down the hall. She walked over to them.

"Where did you go?" Misao said when she reached them.

Kaoru opened her mouth to answer, ready to relay her encounter, but the wind god answered for her.

"She was with me," Aoshi said, appearing behind Kaoru in a wisp of air.

Misao let out a girlish squeal. "Aoshi-sama!"

"Welcome back," he said to her.

"Why was she with you, Aoshi?" Sano said with a note of surprise.

"He saved me from getting my soul stolen away," Kaoru replied brightly and everyone stared at her in shock.

"She wandered into the cursed garden," Aoshi clarified for them and they relaxed back into a normal state. "I felt her presence and came in."

"Why the hell did you go in there?" Kenshin said sharply.

"The spirits were calling me…" Kaoru tried to explain.

"So you decided to follow them?" Kenshin said. "Are you an idiot?"

"Shut up," she snapped. "I didn't go inside with the intention of getting my soul kidnapped."

"I didn't expect so many of you to be here," Aoshi said, cutting in.

"We won't be here long," Sano said.

"I'm sure that you got the summons?" Kenshin said.

"Only a while ago," Aoshi replied. "I thought that Enishi would've taken you there directly."

"Like I would let him," Kenshin said coldly. "I don't need a fucking escort."

"Anyway, we have to be there in two days, and since we have to take Kaoru, we'll have to go by sea," Sano said.

Kenshin turned to Kaoru suddenly. "Why do you keep causing problems?"

Kaoru looked offended. "It's not like I _asked _to go!"

"Why did the Emperor summon her as well?" Aoshi said.

Kenshin had been taken aback when Enishi told him that his father wanted to meet Kaoru. He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. She was just a simple human girl that liked to talk back to him. She wasn't as pretty as many of the other girls he had gotten as sacrifices, and she wasn't as obedient as he would have liked, but he knew that were was still something unusual about her. But he couldn't quite figure out what it was, and it bothered him…Just like the moment when she smiled at him the other day.

He gave a half-hearted shrug. "She's my wife. He wanted to meet her."

"I'm surprised," Sano said. "He's never taken interest in any of your wives other than Tomoe--" He stopped himself abruptly. Everyone else went quiet as Kenshin gave all of them a warning stare. Kaoru, on the other hand, looked curious.

_Tomoe?_ she repeated in her mind with a questioning look on her face. Aoshi had mentioned her before too, and abruptly halted telling her anymore. Of course, Kaoru knew that Kenshin had had other brides…who was this wife that Sano and everyone else was forbidden to talk about?

Sano cleared his throat. "Well, anyway, we'll have to take a ship to get to the Emperor's kingdom."

"A ship?" Kaoru asked instead.

"Since you are a human, you cannot travel the way gods do. I'll have to take you by water on a ship," Kenshin explained.

"It's a magical ship," Sano told her, seeing her confusion. "We'll leave tomorrow then? It'll take at least a day to cross the sea."

"Fine," Kenshin said. "Sano, Aoshi, let's go. I have things to discuss with you." He took off down the hall. With a sigh, Sano and Aoshi followed after him. They left Misao, Yahiko, Kaoru and Megumi behind.

"Umm…Are you hungry, Kaoru? Let's go get something to eat!" Misao offered. She led the way to the kitchen, grabbing Kaoru's hand and pulling her along. She looked at Kaoru and smiled. "Isn't Aoshi-sama amazing, Kaoru? I mean he saved you. "

Aoshi was more grave than astonishing; he hardly ever changed his facial expressions but he seemed kind. For Misao's sake she agreed. "Yeah, he is…" Kaoru said before yawning softly.

"Are you tired?" Megumi asked.

Kaoru shook her head. "Not really. I just think that my encounters with death fazed me a little." She smiled. "I'm really lucky that Enishi saved me that first time."

"Hmm," Megumi said thoughtfully.

"Don't tell me you're angry at me for thanking Enishi as well," Kaoru said with a trace of frustration.

"No, I'm not," Megumi replied. "But I do think that you shouldn't trust him too willingly."

"Not this _again_," Kaoru groaned. "Kenshin is enough, I don't need…"

"Listen, Kaoru," Megumi said. "From the moment Enishi laid eyes on Kenshin, he hated him. And Kenshin has always been cold towards Enishi. If Kenshin doesn't trust someone, it tends to be a suspicious sign."

They entered the dining hall and there was food already laid out for them on the table. Yahiko sat down immediately and began to eat. Kaoru took a seat, still staring at Megumi.

"But Enishi seemed really civilized! That's a lot more than I can say for Kenshin!" Kaoru said.

Megumi shrugged. "It was probably because he was on orders by the Emperor. And it was also probably because he made a blow to Kenshin's ego by saving you before he did."

Kaoru sighed. "Yeah, I already heard this too from Sano. But I highly doubt Kenshin was jealous or anything."

Megumi gave Kaoru a small smile before grabbing some food.

Kaoru gazed down at her plate, wondering how life here in the Water Country was far more complicated than when she lived in the village. "Oh!" Kaoru said, remembering her question from before. "Megumi, who is Tomoe?"

The other three stopped eating immediately. They turned to look at Kaoru, faces somewhat pale. None of them responded to her question immediately, and appeared rather hesitant to answer.

"You know, the person Sano mentioned before," Kaoru said, ignoring the unease radiating from her companions. "Who is she? Everyone tensed up when he said her name."

Megumi reached out to pick up her chopsticks and tried to look casual as she answered. "She was Kenshin's first wife."

"His first wife?" Kaoru repeated.

"She was a human girl. He loved her very much," Misao said. "She was the only bride that Kenshin ever truly loved."

"What happened to her?" Kaoru said, interested.

"She died," Megumi said.

"She didn't just _die_," Yahiko snapped, after swallowing half of his meal. "She was murdered."

Kaoru's eyebrows rose in alarm. "_Murdered?_"  
Yahiko nodded, shoving another heap of rice into his mouth. "Yep. She was totally killed by someone. I remember it was really gruesome. There was blood everywhere. We still don't know who did it either. Kenshin doesn't even know."

"She was young when she died too," Misao said. "It devastated him."

"That's why we usually don't talk about her. Even mentioning her name sets him off," Megumi said.

"I see…" Kaoru whispered.

"Don't worry, Kaoru!" Misao said quickly. "You're still Kenshin's bride, no matter what!"

"Huh? No, I'm not worried about that," Kaoru said, feeling a strange sympathy for the water god. "I just…felt bad for him. Losing someone you love…It's very hard thing to deal with."

"I suppose," Megumi said, leaning back in her chair. "He did go a little…strange after she died."

"Of course!" Kaoru said. "I would too if my lover died!"

"No, Kenshin was always a little rough around the edges…But after Tomoe died, he became worse. He's much colder now, you know."

"What? You mean that he was actually _nice _before?" Kaoru exclaimed. The image of a pleasant Kenshin was completely bizarre in her mind. She cursed silently. She wished Tomoe was still alive. Then Kenshin would've have put a drought over her village, and she wouldn't have been sent here to be his bride.

Oh, how fate hated her…

"I don't really know why Kenshin liked Tomoe so much anyway. I always thought she was a little gloomy. Whenever I was around her, I hardly ever saw her smile," Megumi said to Misao and Yahiko.

Misao nodded enthusiastically in agreement.

"Kaoru smiles a lot more!" Misao said cheerfully. "You're my favorite out of all of Kenshin's brides!"

Kaoru smiled. "Well, I'm glad about that. But I'm sure that I am Kenshin's least favorite."

"Don't put yourself down so quickly, Kaoru," Megumi said. "You are the first girl Kenshin brought out of the palace and also the only one who actually talks to him."

"I think you mean _talk back_ to him," Kaoru pointed out.

"Either way, you are different from the rest," Megumi said.

Kaoru rolled her eyes. She had been called _different _and _interesting_ by the others so many times she was starting to find it tiresome.

"I wonder why the Emperor wants to meet Kaoru, though," Misao said.

"And since it's only the gods, we can't go," Megumi said.

"Ahh, seriously?" Kaoru moaned. "I'll have to fend for myself then?"

"What are you saying? Kenshin will be there!" Misao reminded her.

_He probably couldn't care less about me, _Kaoru thought with annoyance.

"Sano is going too! And you get to be with Aoshi-sama!" Misao exclaimed. "I wish I could go!"

"Do you want to take my place?" Kaoru suggested.

"If only…" Misao sighed. "You'll have lots of fun, Kaoru."

They continued to eat and after about a half an hour, a maid led them to their rooms to take a bath and rest. Kaoru waved goodbye to the others as she disappeared into her room and fell down onto the cool, comfortable blankets and buried her face in the pillows.

She had so many things running through her mind. In a few days time, she would have to go meet the Emperor. She wondered what the Emperor wanted to meet her for, and seeing as even her companions didn't know, it disturbed her. And surely, since the Emperor was Kenshin's father, they would have similar personalities and her stomach clenched at the thought. Kenshin was enough of a tyrant, not to mention unreasonable and temperamental.

Another concern filled her mind when she was reminded of Kenshin and she felt that same rush of sympathy for him. Although she found every part of him controlling and demanding, the idea that he had a wife that he loved more than anyone else, and that she died in such a gruesome way, she couldn't help but feel a little compassion for him. Losing the one he loved most must have been a terrible blow to his ego, since he couldn't protect her from death.

What would it have to take, she wondered, to reach his heart, just as Tomoe had done? If anything, Tomoe must have been a miracle-worker; how else could she have subdued the beast? Kaoru, on the other hand, possessed none of those mysterious powers, since all she did was infuriate him to no end.

She knew that she was no angel, but and she speculated that Tomoe must have been as kind and patient as a saint to put up with Kenshin. Perhaps _that _was the reason why Kenshin loved Tomoe so and disliked Kaoru…Kaoru was the direct opposite of Tomoe.

Kaoru talked back, spat in his face, and purposefully did things she knew would make him lose his temper. Tomoe was probably gentle and loving, kind and considerate, a perfect woman. She clutched the pillow close to her chest. But it wasn't as though Kaoru was a misfit, either…She was known in her village as being affectionate and thoughtful (after all, she sacrificed herself for the sake of the village), but she just didn't show those traits to Kenshin, because she felt he didn't deserve her kindness.

He didn't want her as a wife, and she certainly didn't want to belong to him. It would have been better if Tomoe had lived: Kenshin could have been with her happily, and Kaoru would be able to be with her family, and perhaps find someone she truly loved to spend the rest of her life with…

It seemed like such a distant, wonderful dream…But now, Kaoru couldn't imagine herself not in the enchanting world of gods. Although she rebelled against the thought of staying chained to Kenshin, she loved all of the people she had met by becoming his bride. Soon, would she start to think that this place, instead of her village on earth, was her home? Would she start to become accustomed to Kenshin's difficult ways? Would she start to feel something towards the water god, as his late wife had done…?

The door suddenly opened, and Kaoru glanced up to see Kenshin entering the room. Frowning, she said, "What are you doing in here?"

Kenshin shot her a bored look. "This is my room."

"No it isn't," Kaoru snapped. "This is _my _room. I was here first."

"You're my wife," Kenshin reminded her. "It's not unusual for us to share a room together."

"B-But back in the palace, we always slept in different rooms!" Kaoru exclaimed.

"That was in my palace, but this is Aoshi's castle," he told her. He glanced at her. "What's the big deal?"

The big deal was that she didn't want to share a room with a temperamental god, especially when she had a history of angering him and he was incapable of controlling his powers when he was annoyed with her. Almost every time that they were together, they fought over something.

"I…don't really feel safe with you," she said slowly, hoping that he would get the gist of her meaning.

Kaoru saw something flash before her eyes: In one moment Kenshin was standing ten feet away from her, and in the next he was pinning her to the bed with a blazing look in his eyes. She slammed into the soft pillows with a strong force as the sky outside turned to gray and the wind started to blow wildly.

"Do you think that I can't protect you, Kaoru?" he asked her, burning with rage. He had completely misinterpreted her reason, and the thing she feared about the two of them being together was becoming reality.

Kaoru shivered under his hostile glare as she tried to explain, "What are you talking about? I—"

"Do you think that your savior at the lake would do a better job than me?" Kenshin growled, the wind blustering more severely. He was far more powerful than Enishi, and yet she still…

Kaoru gaped at him in shock.

"What, after his glorious moment of saving you, have you fallen in love with him?" Kenshin demanded, his voice growing louder. What was with her annoying liking of Enishi, and why did it infuriate him so?

"What are you—Enishi has nothing to do with this!" Kaoru snapped. "I'm taking about the two of us…I don't feel safe being in the same room as you!"

Kenshin blinked down at her, and then a strange smirk crossed his face. "You didn't want to be in the same room as me? Why? Did you think that I was going have my way with you?"

"Huh?" Kaoru said, staring up in confusion. His eyes were smoldering with an emotion other than anger: It was an emotion she could not decipher, an emotion she did not want to arouse.

"Well, I guess it's true…You really haven't fulfilled one of the conditions of being my wife." That, and he was feeling the strange sensation in his chest again as he dipped lower towards her body. His skin tingled with want as her scent filled his nose and as her chest rose quickly in shallow, nervous breaths.

Wait, what the hell was he talking about? This was the girl that drove him positively mad with her incessant disobedience and defiant tongue. This was the girl that caused him to lose his temper far too easily and fought with him every passing hour. This was the girl that made him feel strangely possessive and irritated when she smiled at any man other than him.

This was the girl that was nothing like Tomoe, a girl that he would never want as his wife, and yet, at this moment…He never wanted her more.

He leaned in, his lips inching closer and closer to the velvety skin of her neck.

"Kenshin, what are you doing?" she breathed. He was too close…Way too close! "Kenshin!"

The panic laced in her voice awakened him from his strange craze of desire. Blinking twice, he pulled back and saw Kaoru staring up at him in astonishment. He released his tight grip on her arms, and as soon as she was free, she quickly moved away from him.

"What the hell was that all about?" she demanded. "This is exactly why I didn't want to be in same room as you! You always lose your temper when you're with me!" _And for some reason, it seemed like you were about to kiss me!_ she added as a frantic afterthought.

Kenshin contemplated what she had just said. The reason she didn't want to be with him was simply because she didn't want to get into a fight with him?  
"And what was with the mention of Enishi? It had nothing to do with him!" _Is Sano right? Is Kenshin actually…jealous? _

He didn't reply. He was trying to rationalize his bizarre moves to kiss her. He had felt such a strong sense of desire towards her, unlike anything else he had ever felt, and it was for a girl that angered him at every possible opportunity. This _isn't _what he wanted, but the desire swelling in his chest told him otherwise.

Enraged and confused, Kaoru stood up abruptly. "Mou, I just don't understand you! I'm leaving!" She turned around and stomped out towards the door.

Just as she was about to leave, Kenshin appeared, slamming his hand against the wall and blocking her exit.  
"What?" she said, exasperated.

Kenshin grabbed her arm and pulled her close. He let his gaze linger over her eyes, her cheeks, her nose, and finally settling on her mouth.

She squirmed under his intense watch. "What is it?"

He could feel his want awaken again, and it roared for dominance.

"Kenshin, why won't you just—"

"Shut up. Just shut up," he ordered her, putting a hand to the back of her head. "I need to try something."

This desire…this want…He had to make sure…

Kaoru struggled in his grasp. "What are you—"

She was cut off as Kenshin crashed his lips against hers.

**Author's Note: **Dun, dun duuuun! Yeah, I know, I'm a totally meanie. Thanks for all of the reviews for the last chapter, and I hope to see some more for this chapter!  
---Aya  
P.S. For those of you who also follow my other story, _This Heart of Mine_, please don't fret. I'll try to get up the next chapter as soon as possible. I'm having a little trouble working with it…Please be patient! I love you all!


	8. Aftermath

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Rurouni Kenshin nor do I own the _The Bride of the Water God.  
_**Author's Note: **Well, I finished another chapter! Goodness gracious, this chapter was fairly easy to write, most likely because I just had the most wonderful inspiration that came all of your lovely reviews! Thank you for every last one of them! And so, without further delay, please enjoy this installment of UTSM.

**Under the Scarlet Moon  
VIII. Aftermath **

Kaoru stood in a complete state of shock as her mind tried to register the situation: Kenshin had lost his temper…again. He tried to frighten her…again. She got angry and fought back…again. He was kissing her…this had _not _happened before.

This didn't make any sense at all. This was Kenshin…The man who hated her, and now he was kissing her? She was so confused…He was in love with Tomoe, he hated Kaoru. So why was this happening and why was his kiss, despite all of his cruel actions and words, so incredibly sweet?

It was when he started to press his tongue against her lips that Kaoru drew the line. She pushed him back with all of her strength, breathing heavily.

"What the…_hell_…are you doing?" she said.

Kenshin had no idea what he was doing. He had no idea at all…He couldn't put any reason behind his actions, except his raw, bizarre desire for her that stemmed from his frustration. He didn't want to hear her rant on and on. He just wanted to feel her lips against his again. He reached out and pulled her close once more, tilting his mouth to meet hers.

"Oh, no you don't!" Kaoru snapped, twisting her face away in desperation to block his oncoming attack. Her arm shot out to shove him away again, but he caught it effortlessly.

"Stop it," he whispered huskily, tightening his grip. Why wouldn't she just be submissive so that he could pleasure her with kisses…and possibly more?

"No, _you_ stop it!" she cried, forcing him back. "What's going on with you?"

"I have no fucking idea," he muttered.

A muscle twitched near Kaoru's eye. "_Don't _do it if you don't have a reason!"

"What? You wouldn't mind if there _was _a reason?" There was an arrogant and curious smirk on his voice.

"It would make a lot more sense if you did!" she replied furiously. "You're always angry with me…You hate me, and you still—"

"I never said I hated you," Kenshin said quietly.

She blinked in surprise. _Then, could it possibly mean…No, no way. Stop right there, Kamiya Kaoru. He's in love with Tomoe, remember?_ She tried to regain her composure.

"But you're always so infuriated with me—"

"That's because you always do things that infuriate me," he countered easily.

He was avoiding the main question surrounding his sudden kiss and it only made Kaoru more frustrated and confused.

"Why are you doing this?" she asked desperately. Her mind was in complete disarray.

"I just wanted to kiss you," Kenshin replied coolly, brushing off his actions as if it was nothing. It was the only way to make him feel somewhat sane. He felt like kissing her. So, he did. There was no need to explore his desire for her any further. "Why are you complaining so much?"

She stared at him in shock again. _Why was she complaining so much?_ She had just been kissed by a god that supposedly hated her, 'just because he _wanted_ to'…and even more than that, she realized in horror, he had stolen her first kiss!

"You just don't do something like this just because you wanted to!" Kaoru yelled at him.

She was becoming annoying with her complaints and resistance. "It was just a kiss," he said to her.

She looked ready to spit on him. "That's the problem! You only think about yourself and what _you_ want! It may just be a kiss to you, but I only want to do these things with the person I _like_!"

Kenshin's golden eyes flashed dangerously. The atmosphere in the room darkened once more. For some reason, the idea of Kaoru liking someone else, kissing another man, sent his temper straight through the roof. His hand shot out of nowhere and tightened around her arm.

"Ow, Kenshin, that hurts," she cried.

He didn't care if he was hurting her. All he could feel was the blood boiling in his veins. "If that's what you're so concerned about it, there's a really simple solution."

She gasped in pain as his hand slipped up to hair, yanking it down to make her face him directly.

"Just force yourself to like me and the problem is solved," he said, leaning forward and capturing her lips again.

His mouth felt warm against hers, and it sent her mind spinning out of control. She struggled in his grasp, but all he did was hold her tighter, because heaven, she tasted good. He wasn't ready to let her go just yet. It didn't matter if she despised him, and it didn't matter if she annoyed him, because all he could think about was feeling her on his hands.

Kaoru couldn't take it anymore. His deranged sense of love, hate, passion and desire was just too much for a simple girl like her. Whipping out a steady hand, she slapped him hard across the face. The sound of flesh hitting flesh echoed throughout the large room and he finally loosened his hold on her. She quickly slipped away, breathing heavily, on the verge of tears.

Kenshin reached up to touch his stinging cheek, stunned by her bold actions.

"How…" Kaoru started, her voice trembling from confusion.

He looked over at her, surprised to see her crying.

"How can you touch me…when you don't even like me?" she asked. She didn't understand. He was in love with Tomoe. How could he kiss her so nonchalantly when he was still in love with his dead wife?

How could he touch her? Kenshin mused, as his anger started to replace his want. It was because he wanted her, desired her, hungered for her touch…It was that simple. It was because of raw desire, wasn't it? At this moment, the memory of his beloved Tomoe was far from his mind. All he could think about, and all he wanted, was the woman that was standing in front of him.

"You want me to force myself to like you? You've got to be kidding me!" she scoffed, tears sliding down her face. "There's no way I could like a bastard like you!" Since he was no longer holding her back, she took the chance to throw open the door and make her exit.

"Kaoru," Kenshin said, unsure of whether to punish her for her indignant tongue, to comfort her to stop the tears, or to pull her onto the bed and lavish her endlessly.

She turned to him with hateful eyes and a face wet with tears. "I can't believe I felt sorry for you," she said softly before running out of the room.

"Feel sorry for _me_?" Kenshin whispered after her, baffled by her parting statement. What reason did she have to pity _him_? He was the water god, ruler of his own country, son of the Emperor himself—There was nothing in existence that would allow a silly human girl like her to feel sorry for—

And then realization hit him like an oncoming storm.

He punched his hand into the wall out of anger, and the entire castle seemed to shake in anxiety. There was only _one reason_ for a woman to pity him.

Kaoru knew about Tomoe.

xXxXxXx

Kaoru didn't know where exactly she was in Aoshi's palace, she realized, as she sat on the floor in the middle of a deserted hallway. All she knew was that she stormed out of the room, full of hate, anger, annoyance, confusion, and a painful feeling throbbing in her chest. What was Kenshin thinking when he kissed her? It was such a careless, indifferent, tactless kiss, yet why did it leave her with such a sweet pain?

It wasn't supposed to be like this! She was supposed to be his wife, his annoying, defiant wife for whom he felt absolutely no attraction towards, and he was supposed to be the mean, temperamental husband that would never, _ever_ kiss her! It was just how the roles were supposed to be!

And to top it all off, he didn't even know _why _he was kissing her!

She dropped her face into her hands. She didn't know what to think anymore.

"Oi, jou-chan, what's wrong?"

Kaoru jumped as she heard a friendly and familiar voice speak from beside her. Looking up, she saw Sano crouching beside her.

"Nothing," she mumbled, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand.

Sano didn't buy it. "Oi, jou-chan, are you _crying_?"

"No," Kaoru snapped, hiding her face from view. But she couldn't hide the sniffles or the tear marks down her cheeks.

Sano sighed as he sat down next to her. "What did Kenshin do this time?"

Kaoru almost smiled. It was as if Sano always knew that all her problems stemmed from a certain obnoxious water god. And that was a very true fact.

"You mean besides being a total and complete jerk?" she said angrily.

Sano chuckled. "Well, there are some things that can't be changed." He gave her sideways glance. "But you look more upset than usual…Are you sure that you're okay?"

She didn't him answer him right away. She didn't really know if she was all right. After all, she had just been forcibly kissed by her rude husband…She was still shaken up by the awkward and unexpected situation.

"Ne, Sano," Kaoru said. "Remember when we were at the lake?"

"Yeah. What about it?"

"You said something about Kenshin being jealous…Do you actually think that's true?" she asked softly.

"Of course," Sano replied instantly, without any hesitation.

"But how can that be?" Kaoru said. "He doesn't even like me! He thinks that I'm annoying, and besides, he loves Tomoe—"

"How do you know about Tomoe?" Sano interrupted in surprise.

"You mean after the various times that you and the others let her name slip out?" Kaoru said with a roll of her eyes. "Megumi and Misao told me."

"Ah." Sano nodded in understanding.

"So, there is no way that he could be jealous, if he's still in love with Tomoe, right?" Kaoru said, talking to herself more than to Sano. "He doesn't like me, and that kiss was just a fluke thing—"

"_Kiss?_" Sano erupted. "Whoa, hold on there a second, jou-chan…Are you saying that Kenshin _kissed _you?"

Damn, it slipped out. "…Um," she said, squirming under Sano's wide-eyed gaze. "…Yes?"

He almost fell over in shock. "Did he say _why_?" Sano prompted.

Anger flooded back into her. "No. He said it was _just because he wanted to_! Can you believe that? He just forced himself on me and stole my _first kiss _probably only to torture me!" She balled her fists in rage. "I hate him."

Sano groaned loudly. _What the hell is that idiot doing?_ Sano thought in irritation. _At first all he wants is Tomoe, and then he got jealous over the Enishi incident. I thought it was good that he was starting to have feelings for a woman other than Tomoe, but why did he suddenly decide to kiss Kaoru? _He gave her a quick glance. _His actions are all over the place…What the hell is he thinking? He's being more unpredictable than usual! _

"I really hate him," Kaoru repeated with extra force, as if trying to prove it to herself.

"All right, all right," Sano said, patting the back of her head in comfort. "Why don't you go back to your room and rest?"

Kaoru shook her head vigorously. "Kenshin's staying in that room too! There's no way I'm going back!"

"Why don't you go and sleep in my room?" Sano offered.

"In _your _room?" Kaoru said carefully. "I don't think that's such a good idea, Sano…"

"Don't worry, Kaoru. I won't be sleeping tonight, so the room will be all yours."

"Won't be _sleeping_? How—" Kaoru stopped. It was probably just another one of those godlike traits. "Whatever. I'll take you up on that offer."

"Great. It's right down the hall," Sano said, pointing out the direction to her.

"Thanks, Sano. I just can't see Kenshin again for awhile, especially if I have to face his wrath after I hit him."

"You _hit_ him?" Sano exclaimed.

Kaoru grinned. "I gave him one hard slap, right across the face."

Sano grinned widely in return. "Oh, jou-chan, you never cease to amaze me."

xXxXxXx

Kenshin stood in the water, watching as the sun began to set over the horizon. In Aoshi's forest, the beauty of all the living creatures seemed to be amplified and the chirping of the nighttime crickets started to fill the air.

_"I can't believe I felt sorry for you!" _Kaoru's voice suddenly played in his head, followed by her crying face.

"Dammit," he mumbled. Why did the sight of her crying face pop into his head so frequently, and why did it bother him so much? What was it about the strange girl Kaoru that had his desires raging out of control and his mind pulling away from his memories of Tomoe? She wasn't anything special; nothing like his gentle, passive Tomoe, and yet she managed to send his want into overdrive.

The feel of her lips was wonderful: Warm, soft and luscious. He wanted to taste them again, but he knew that now Kaoru would not come within twenty feet of him out of fright and anger.

"Dammit!" he growled and the water in the lake began to thrash violently, rising high in large, daunting waves.

"Whoa, Kenshin, try not to drown the entire forest, would you?" Sano's placid voice came from behind.

He returned the water to its original state. "What is it, Sano?"

Sano took a seat on the shore. "I had a talk with Kaoru today."

"Is that so?" Kenshin said with his usual indifferent manner, letting small amounts of water to swirl elegant in the air effortlessly.

"She seems to hate you more than usual today," Sano said.

"I really couldn't care less if she hated me," Kenshin said. "Because no matter how much she hates me, she will still remain my wife."

"Is that why you kissed her?" Sano asked. "Because she's your wife?"

The water crashed back down into the lake with a violent thud. Straightening his back and trying to keep his composure. "That has nothing to do with you, Sano," he bit out.

"It has a lot to do with me," Sano said. "Since I'm the one that found her crying."

Kenshin felt his temper flicker. What had Kaoru done after she left the room? Had she gone off to cry in Sano's shoulder? "Where is she?" he demanded.

"She's sleeping," Sano said slowly. "In my room."

Kenshin turned around sharply. His eyes were narrowed into dangerous slits. "What the hell is my wife doing in your room?"

Sano held up his hands in defense. "She was too scared to go back to her room so I offered her mine." He smirked slightly at Kenshin's dark exterior. "Should I go back later and join her?"

In a bright red flash, Kenshin stood in front of Sano with his sword lying against the base of the fire god's neck. A thin droplet of blood slipped from a small cut, but Sano did not flinch nor did he move.

"You're extremely possessive of her," Sano noted bluntly.

Kenshin continued to glare at his friend. "Sano, you are testing my patience."

"Are you falling love with her?"

Kenshin withdrew his sword. "Don't be ridiculous."

"Then why did you kiss her?" Sano asked. "I thought that you were still in love with Tomoe."

"Kaoru and Tomoe have nothing to do with each other," Kenshin replied sharply. "If I want to kiss my wife, then I will. That's the only reason."

"But she's the first," Sano pointed out. "You never even _touched _any of the other brides. Why are you purposely trying to hurt Kaoru?"

"Hurt her?" Kenshin repeated. "The last time I checked, there was nothing hurtful about kissing a woman."

"You hurt Kaoru a lot, Kenshin. She doesn't understand your motives."

"Neither do I," Kenshin said quietly. "I wanted to kiss her, so I did."

"Kaoru's a good girl, Kenshin. Don't just play around with her heart. Don't do anything to her unless you mean it."

"She's my wife. I'll do as I please with her, without any interference from you," Kenshin said coldly.

"Kaoru isn't Tomoe, Kenshin. She doesn't love you, so she won't willingly become submissive towards you. But if you show her a bit of affection—"

"I don't have to show her anything," Kenshin said. "I—"

"She was _crying, _Kenshin!" Sano cut in angrily. "The only type of girl that cries after a _stud _like you kisses them is one seriously upset girl!"

"And who are you, her keeper?" Kenshin shot back. "Why are you so concerned about her?"

"It's because I like her," Sano replied.

That statement was like another slap across the face. Kenshin let the water rise a few menacing inches. "What did you say?"

"Hey, don't get the wrong idea," Sano said quickly. "I mean, I like Kaoru as a little sister. I think that she's a good bride for you."

He slowly got to his feet and stood face-to-face with Kenshin.

"Kaoru is a cute and funny girl, Kenshin. If you don't take care of her, someone else will definitely steal her away." Sano shrugged nonchalantly. "Who knows, maybe it'll be Enishi. We already know that she thinks that he is her savior. How much longer will it take for that to turn into love?"

Sano turned around and started to walk away, leaving a darkly burning Kenshin behind. In just a few moments, he could hear the storm clouds gather overhead in a fiery rage. A second later, rain thundered down. He grinned silently to himself. Provoking Kenshin was far too easy.

xXxXxXx

When she was sleeping, she was entirely different from awakened self.

Kenshin sat on the bed next to her, watching in silence as she dreamt in her own world. The moonlight from the open window streamed into her fair skin and illuminated her face. Everything was so peaceful about her when she was sleeping, so very beautiful. There were no defiant comments or indignant actions.

He softly pushed a strand of hair out of her face.

But if it wasn't for her strong and bold personality, wouldn't she just be like the other brides? Quiet, timid, frightened of their impending death…She was nothing like that. She was always trying to get her way and make him believe, that not once in her entire time in the realm of gods, was she ever afraid of him. She was full of unexpected courage and will.

And now, she probably couldn't even stand the sight of him.

He didn't want to admit it, but it was partly his fault. He couldn't keep his sudden desire for her under control and let it fly free without any restraint, just for a taste of her lips. Her beautiful, soft lips that tempted him with just a single glance…

Still, she always managed to do things that angered him. She pushed him to the edge of his temper so easily. No woman was able to do that before. However, this time, he had infuriated her beyond belief. So much, in fact, that she had run off to the far-too-friendly-supposed-to-be-his-friend fire god…

_"Who knows, maybe it'll be Enishi." _Sano's arrogant voice repeated. _"We already know that she thinks that he is her savior. How much longer will it take for that to turn into love?" _

Again, the thought of Kaoru being with another man, especially one as despicable as Enishi, made him want to punch something. Annoying and infuriating as she was, he didn't want to share her with anyone. He wanted to keep her to himself. He had never felt such a strong feeling of possessiveness.

It didn't matter how much she protested. It didn't matter she wanted to leave this place forever. It didn't even matter if she hated him.

He leaned forward and growled softly in her ear. "You are mine."

**Author's Note: **Well, feelings are definitely starting to emerge…However, they are still not feelings of passionate love. We will have to wait a little longer on those. I'm having a lot of fun making Sano a bit of matchmaker between Kenshin and Kaoru. He's just such a good character to be an in-between the two that I can't help it! Anyway, I hoped that you all enjoyed this chapter. Please do leave a review.  
Love you all!  
---Aya


	9. Journey

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Rurouni Kenshin, nor do I own Bride of the Water God.**  
Author's Note: **Hello there! It's finally here: Chapter 9 of _Under the Scarlet Moon_! I know that it took a while, but I was preoccupied with my other fic, _This Heart of Mine_, which by the way, was updated, if you didn't know! Okay, enough of me, enjoy this chapter, my lovely readers! I couldn't have written this without you and your support!

**Under the Scarlet Moon  
****IX. Journey**

Kaoru woke to the sound of the tinkling chimes. It was soft and delicate, a gentle hum that combined perfectly with the warm pillows and blanket she was cuddled under. Yawning widely, she stretched her arms over her hand before sitting up. The bright rays of the sun poured through the open window and it made her realize that she just had the most peaceful sleep without a single worry—

"You're awake."

But at the sound of that darkly familiar voice, all of the trouble and anxiety from the night before flooded back into her. She jumped in alarm and quickly glanced around the room before noticing Kenshin sitting in one of the shadowy corners.

He stared at her intently, judging what his next actions should be. Kaoru didn't say anything. The awkwardness between the two of them was clear as day, and her anger towards him over his past actions and the fear that he would do it again had not faded at all. All she could do was sit there and hope that he wouldn't come within five feet of her while her mind was so confused.

Kenshin walked out of the corner and simply said, "Let's go."

Kaoru coiled back into bed. "Go where?"

"We're going to the Emperor's palace, Kaoru," he said, and she was surprised how strangely soft his tone was. "Get up and let's go."

Her stomach lurched. She had completely forgotten about the journey to visit the Emperor, and honestly, she felt no inclination to go. She was already having a hard time dealing with Kenshin; she really didn't want to deal with his father. What if they shared the same bad mannerisms—the ones that drove her totally insane?

"Kaoru, let's go," he repeated, his voice reverting to its harder tone. He was feeling pressed for time.

"But my things…" she protested weakly. "I haven't packed…"

"The maids have already done that for you," Kenshin replied quickly. "They packed clothing that will be appropriate for an imperial banquet. Let's go."

She didn't move. "I need to change," she tried again.

Kenshin gave Kaoru a quick once-over. He realized that she was still wearing a yukata, and that was simply not suitable for any formal expedition outside of the castle walls. "Misao chose a kimono for you," he said, jerking his head over to the other side of the room, where an elaborate kimono was laid out, "that one should suffice for now."

Kaoru finally slipped out of bed to examine it. It was a dark shade of blue embroidered with small flowers, accented by a golden obi. The fabric was soft and light against her fingers. She had never seen anything so exquisite; in the village, her family would never, in a million lifetimes, be able to afford such a fine kimono.

"Satisfied?" Kenshin's voice came from behind, startling her so much that she almost dropped the priceless kimono.

She could feel his breath on her neck and she shivered. Once again, he was far too close! She hoped that he wouldn't have a go at her again as she turned around to face him. Trying to keep her voice steady, she said indignantly, "I suppose it'll do."

Kenshin smirked at her audacity. "I hoped it would," he said, before picking up a strand of her smooth hair. "I think that it will go beautifully with your eyes."

Kaoru's heart skipped a beat as she looked up at him. His golden orbs were watching her with amusement. Where was the controlling, temperamental water god she was used to? What was he playing at, suddenly whipping out a charming compliment? She narrowed her eyes suspiciously. He wouldn't try to do something stupid like…_seduce _her, right?

No way, there was no way—

But as his hand suddenly snaked up towards her neck and his head tilted to press a kiss along her jaw line, she realized that she was terribly mistaken. _Yes_, this arrogant water god was going to attempt to win her over. She was in serious danger right now.

Kaoru sidestepped him, so quickly, in fact, that even Kenshin was surprised—and put at least five feet of distance between them. Kenshin looked around at her, still amused. For a second, Kaoru thought he might come after her again, but instead he walked past her.

"I'll be waiting outside," he said coolly. "Change quickly, we have to leave soon."

He left the room, closing the door quietly behind him.

Kaoru sank to the floor, hugging the kimono to her chest. Her traitorous heart was still fluttering from the close contact and the sweet words he was paying her…Up until now, Kaoru thought that it was completely impossible for Kenshin to commit any form of flattery, especially to her.

But she wasn't going to fall for it. She knew better than that—falling for someone like Kenshin could only lead to some sort of heartbreak. He didn't even like her! It was obvious that he thought of her as an interesting plaything, something he wanted to use for his own pleasure, and nothing more. She knew that the only way to avoid his tricks was to ignore him to the best of her ability.

Kaoru made Kenshin wait for twenty minutes before she stepped out of the room. He examined her quickly, letting his gaze savor her appearance nice and slow. He smiled when he realized he was right: the blue kimono really did bring out her eyes. Her straight hair fell loose over her shoulders, a trait that Kenshin was starting to welcome. She squirmed under his watchful gaze.

"Let's go," he said, walking off.

Kaoru trailed leisurely behind him, making sure that she was always out of arm's length from Kenshin. He openly kissed her once and tried to do it again not even a short while ago, so she had to take precautions. But now, he was acting like the previous predicament hadn't even occurred. She seethed silently—she stared at his back as she tried to figure out what he was trying to pull on her.

Unconsciously, she couldn't help but notice that almost everything about him was simply majestic. The way he walked and held himself, the way he always seemed ready for action, and the way he could command attention when he entered a room: she couldn't deny that he was godlike.

But not in a _good _way, she quickly noted. He definitely wasn't godlike in a _good _way. A good god would be kind, merciful, gentle, and compassionate…Not a cold and brooding deity that decided it would be _fun _to seduce an innocent, unsuspecting girl in one moment and act like nothing happened in the next.

Kaoru growled softly. _Bastard._

"What are you dragging your feet for?" Kenshin asked her over his shoulder. "Hurry up."

And there he is, she mused with annoyance, the impatient water god that I hate.

Kenshin turned the corner and Kaoru hastily followed. Her eyes widened in surprise when they both stepped out onto a pier where Sanosuke and the others were waiting. A beautiful boat with vast red and gold sails stood docked at the pier, rocking lightly from the short waves, almost like it was beckoning her to come aboard.

Sanosuke grinned when he noticed the two of them. "Yo!" he said in greeting. "We've been waiting for you."

"You're late," Aoshi said quietly.

"Blame it on Kaoru," Kenshin said, throwing her an indifferent glance. "She was the one that just woke up."

"Then you should have woken me up earlier!" she snapped.

"Oh, I see," he said with dark amusement. "You would've liked me to give you a _personal _wakeup call?"

Kaoru could _feel _the smirk on his voice. She quickly pulled out a smart retort. "That would have been more useful than you just sitting around and watching me _sleep_!"

All eyes turned and fixed on Kenshin. The rest of the group stood there, staggered from the revelation. This was all a very un-Kenshin-like act. Kaoru watched gleefully as Kenshin twitched from the sudden and unwanted attention.

Sanosuke looked stunned. "You were watching her sleep? Kenshin, that's so…"

"Creepy," Misao finished for him, nodding.

"Shut up," Kenshin snarled. He gave Kaoru an icy glare. "Let's go already."

He marched on ahead.

Sanosuke laughed after him. He grinned down at Kaoru. "Jou-chan, did I mention that you are my favorite?"

"No. But, please, continue," Kaoru said with a smile.

"I love having you around here," Sanosuke said cheerfully as they walked off to board the ship.

xXxXxXx

Kenshin brooded out on the deck of the ship as the strong gusts of wind soared overhead. The sun was beating down on him, but that wasn't what was annoying him. It wasn't even the thought of attending the imperial that was sending him over the edge.

Rather, as usual, it was his wife.

Kaoru was near the railing, the salty sea air wafting through her long locks of hair, standing next to the ever-so-friendly fire god. He watched the two of them with an angry, blazing look. Sanosuke was saying something with his trademark grin plastered on his face and Kaoru was laughing. He growled. What the hell was going on?

The entire time that they had been on the ship, Kaoru had not _once _left Sanosuke side. From the moment that she stepped onto the boat, she started to cling to Sanosuke in a fashion that irritated Kenshin beyond belief. She was sticking to him like a baby koala; talking to Sanosuke only and giving him her undivided attention. She didn't look at Kenshin and she didn't even try to speak to him at all.

In fact, she was ignoring him.

She was such an annoying and confusing woman. Sometimes she was smiling and at others she was crying; then at times she looked happy and in the next she looked like she wanted nothing to do with him. He knew that he was the main cause for the abrupt swings in her moods, but still…

_So annoying, _he thought irritably.

"Upset that she isn't focusing on you?" a cool, expressionless voice asked from beside him.

Kenshin didn't even look at him. "Hardly."

Aoshi sat down in a soft gust in wind. "She's an interesting one."

Kenshin shot his companion an annoyed look. "That's what everyone seems to say. But I don't understand why. What's so interesting about that infuriating woman?"

"It's probably because you seem to like her," Aoshi said calmly.

"_Like her?_" Kenshin exclaimed, outraged. He stared at the wind god with incredulous eyes.

It wasn't even remotely possible that Kenshin could like her. She was annoying, infuriating, and defiant—traits he disliked in women. She never listened to him and always chose to anger him… Sure, there were times when he found her alluring, tempting, and a wonderful subject of seduction; at points, he also felt strangely possessive of her. But this wasn't because he _liked her_… It was because she belonged to him and he would twist and turn her in any way he wanted.

"You're out of your mind, Aoshi," Kenshin said.

The wind god shrugged. "Do you know why the Emperor summoned us so abruptly?" he inquired quietly.

"My father seems to be throwing a feast in my honor," Kenshin replied smoothly. "Hell knows why."

"A celebration feast for you?" Aoshi appeared skeptical. "The Emperor isn't one to throw an elaborate feast. He hates company. There must be another reason behind it all."

"Don't you think I know that?" Kenshin said, still staring at Sanosuke and Kaoru.

"But you just said…"

"I said that I don't know what occasion the feast is for, but I am fully aware that this isn't just a simple visit to the imperial kingdom." He gave Aoshi a sideways glance. "Don't insult my intelligence."

Aoshi leaned back into his seat. "Never again."

They were silent for a few minutes as Kenshin glared at his wife and so-called friend so intensely that he swore, in satisfaction, they had shivered in fear.

"But what about Kaoru?" Aoshi said suddenly.

Kenshin tapped his fingers impatiently. "What about her?"

"Why would the Emperor want to see her?"

The waves from the thunderous ocean crashed against the boat in an attempt to shake Kenshin's mind for an answer, but he couldn't seem to come up with one. His father never cared for any of the other brides…They were of no importance to him whatsoever. But what made Kaoru stand out amongst the rest of them? He looked over at her standing at the railing, smiling and looking as though she didn't have a care in the world.

Why _did _his father want to see her?

"We'll have to see, won't we?" Kenshin said softly as the ship sailed forward across the ocean to an awaiting destiny.

**Author's Note: **It's a little short, I know. But this was all that I could crank out because I wanted to update this story as soon as possible. Also, some people have been saying that Kenshin's personality is all over the place, and I agree. I'm trying to make him unpredictable with his emotions not understandable and all that. He's supposed to be a confusing character—cold but sweet, at least, that's what I'm aiming at. You've seen the cold, and soon you'll see the sweet.  
Hope you enjoyed this! If you did, please drop a review! Help this story reach 300 reviews! An update will come faster too! Love you all!  
-Aya  
P.S. If you liked this fic, please check out my other fic, _This Heart of Mine. _It has recently been updated and I would love everyone to check it out! Thanks!  
_Summary: _An alliance binds beautiful princess Kaoru to the great conquering king, Himura Kenshin. And no matter how much she resists his deadly ways, he won't take no for an answer.


	10. Author's Note

**Author's Note:**

Hello dear readers!

I'm really sorry to do this and put up your hopes for another chapter, but I have honestly lost interest in this story. I've been trying for a while now to write in it, but it has been TWO YEARS and nothing seems to come to mind anymore. My ideas seem to have faded away, and I feel it's just terrible of me to maybe-sort of-possibly update at _some random point _in the future.

So I am going to discontinue this story. I'm so sorry to all the faithful readers that have asked about the progress of this story and hoped that it would keep going… But I think that it's better just to close it off rather than keep anyone's hopes up.

_BUT…_

If you would like, I can post up the supposed _final chapter_… Meaning, I would fill in everything that was supposed to happen during the plot (pre-information) and then the actual ending of the story. Earlier when I was writing the previous chapters, I got really excited about the ending, so I wrote a draft of it. If you all would like, I can post that and give the story some sort of closure.

Let me know. I'd totally be willing to do this.

Thank you so much for supporting this story until now. You are all amazing!

—Aya


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